Between the gentle, bright hills and the ancient walls of the Ribano Castle, there was a time of monks and a time of knights. Among the ancient vines, many lives have passed, now wrapped in fascinating legends. In the secret cellars, a lot of good wine was made, because the joy of living has always been in the noble heart of Romagna.
THE CASTLE
In the heart of Romagna, in the historic estate of Savignano sul Rubicone, stands, in all its charm, the Ribano Castle (11th century), surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. The estate boasts a centuries-old tradition in winemaking that began in the 1500s, when the Classensi Monks chose the Ribano Castle as a place for vacation, prayer, and work, producing in the beautiful cave with a vaulted ceiling, still visitable, a wine that soon became famous for its quality.
In 1580, the castle passed to the Camaldolese Monks, who turned it into a summer residence under the jurisdiction of the Ravenna convent. After the Napoleonic suppression of ecclesiastical orders, the monastery was expropriated and sold to private individuals until, after various events, it came into the hands of the Savignano family Vallicelli, who bequeathed it to Count Gioacchino Rasponi, grandson of Gioacchino Murat, King of Naples and brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte.
THE WINERY
With its long history in the art of making good wine, the Spalletti Colonna Winery of Paliano is the oldest in Romagna and boasts the cultivation of indigenous varieties with unique characteristics, such as Albana and Sangiovese Romagna.
In 1875, Count Gioacchino Rasponi founded the winery. His descendants would later join the houses of the Spalletti Counts and the Colonna Princes of Paliano. Prince Giovanni Colonna di Paliano, the last owner of the Savignano estate, with foresight and great care, expanded the vineyards and built the new, technologically advanced winery, inaugurated in 2005, where perfect harmony is rigorously ensured between all stages of winemaking to enhance the best qualities of the wine.
Today, the estate is led by the Guidi and Baldacci families, who continue the values of quality, tradition, and love for a unique and generous land. In their vision of being “champions of Romagnolità,” Roberto Guidi and Rodolfo Baldacci aim to place the Spalletti wineries at the center of not only regional but also national wine production, strictly adhering to the principles of organic farming, respecting the vineyards, environmental sustainability, and the ethics of teamwork.