'Drink wine, you do not know where you came from, be happy because you know where you will go'. This statement is intended for travelers and is written inside an ancient barrel where a curious fountain is placed. From this fountain does not flow water but wine. We are located in Abruzzo, in the province of Chieti, not far from Ortona.

the wine fountain

The maxim recalls the figure of the pilgrim invited to enter the ancient barrel to refresh himself at the wine fountain located along the path of St. Thomas. A spiritual journey of experiential tourism that starts from Rome and arrives precisely in Ortona. Here the remains of the apostle Thomas are kept inside the cathedral of the town.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, an Italian excellence

The fountain, which is located in the locality (about ten kilometers from Ortona) of Villa Caldari, was inaugurated just over four years ago, on 9 October 2016. This date is not accidental because this is the period traditionally dedicated to the collection and to the pressing of Montepulciano Storico Nitae. It is an ancient Abruzzese vine of which an ancient stock has been recovered, grafted as a sapling, in the vineyard overlooking the Dora Sarchese winery.

grapes ready for harvest

Seen from above, this vineyard looks like a compass rose. Perhaps the only one in the world of this form. The beginning of October is the culminating moment in these parts of wine production. Precisely that Abruzzo red that flows from the “miraculous” fountain that delights travelers with the wine offered by one of the best known wineries in Abruzzo, the Dora Sarchese owned by Nicola D'Auria.

From the Camino de Santiago to that of San Tommaso: where wine meets pilgrims

The history of the "miraculous" fountain is intertwined with that of the spiritual paths and pilgrimages. If the Caldari fountain is the first - and for now the only one in Italy - that gushes wine continuously during the opening hours of the cellar, its roots have a soul in Spain, in the famous path of Santiago.

a pilgrim to the fountain of wine

In Ayegui, in the Navarre region, between Estella and Los Arcos, there is the first wine fountain in the world installed on one of the walls of the Bodegas Irache cellar which has two taps, one for water and one for wine. Given this, a couple from Ortona, Dina Cespa and Luigi Narcisi, in addition to promoting the journey of St. Thomas, have decided to follow the Spanish experience in their city. No sooner said than done. The project had the consent of the Dora Sarchese winery and the support of the architect Rocco Valentini who built it using the old 50-hectolitre barrel of wine.

The wine fountain to enhance the territory and its wine production

It goes without saying that the wine fountains have little to do with the spirituality of the paths chosen by pilgrims to reach places of devotion. They certainly represent a way to enhance the territory and the excellence of a local production such as that of wine. This is the case of the Ortona fountain.

entrance to the wine fountain

The nectar of the gods also flows from a fountain in Marino, not far from Rome, but open only on the occasion of the Grape Festival on the first Sunday of October. Likewise in Carosino in the province of Taranto and in San Floriano di Collio in the Gorizia area. These fountains are also open only to coincide with particular anniversaries or events. The one from Abruzzo, on the other hand, makes its wine available, free of charge, 365 days a year. And in addition to being the destination of a spiritual journey, it has also become a sought-after tourist attraction.

(Photo courtesy of Abruzzo Esperenziale, the Way of St. Thomas, Tere Italy)

In Italy, wine comes out of a fountain! last edit: 2020-11-14T15:00:00+01:00 da Cristina Campolonghi

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