History and Places

The first thing that is noticeable about Barolo is that it is positioned differently than the other neighboring towns, which perch on hilltops or stretch along ridges. In fact, Barolo encloses a small valley; it is perched on a kind of spur-shaped plateau, sheltered by the slopes that surround it like an amphitheatre.
There is no clear surviving evidence regarding the beginnings of Barolo. Even if in pre-historic and later eras, the area was certainly inhabited by Celtic-Ligurian tribes, later subdued by the Romans, who then subdued themselves, it seems that the first real settlements here took place in the late Middle Ages by barbarians. Among the many suggested etymologies of the name Barolo, the most likely seems to come from the Celtic “bas reul”, or “low-lying place”. In 1200, the village was listed in the "Rigestum Comunis Albe" as Villa Barogly, and again in 1600 under the two names Barrolo and Barollo.
During the period of Lombard rule, Barolo was controlled by Gastaldo di Diano; under Charlemagne, it became part of the county of Alba and then of the Marca (March) of Turin. In these years, to protect themselves from Saracen raids that lasted for almost a century, Berengarius I permitted the building of a fortress, which became the original foundation for the present castle. Barolo changed hands many times up until 1250, when the powerful Falletti banking family acquired Barolo from the Commune of Alba. During these times, territory acquisition was more or less peaceful, with successive land partitioning as the ultimate goal. The last pre-Falletti ownership change was in 1233, when the commune of Alba reassumed control of the Barolo area.
The arrival of the Falletti put an end to these changes. An example of the emerging lay middle classes, the Falletti controlled the fate of Barolo and the surrounding areas for several centuries, thanks to the economic power that enabled them, in the years around 1300, to gain control over some 50 Piedmontese landholdings. In 1486, Barolo became part of the Stato Monferrino (of Monferrato), which then passed to the House of Savoy under the 1631 Treaty of Cherasco, signed by Duke Vittorio Amedeo I. Meanwhile, Barolo suffered many ruinous invasions during the numerous wars of European hegemony, the most significant at the hands of the French in their struggle with the Spanish. Already a county at the beginning of the 1600’s, Barolo was transformed into a marquisate in 1730, with Gerolamo IV as its first marquis; Gerolamo IV, a man of great military ability who had distinguished himself many times on the field of battle, went on to be nominated viceroy and General Captain of Sardinia.

Setting aside the Falletti saga for a moment, let us focus our attention on several historical references to Barolo viticulture. Barolo and the surrounding areas have, in fact, a well-documented viticultural history, documented with certainty by the municipality’s statutes. For example, one 1674 proclamation threatened severe penalties against whoever damaged vines or stole grapes, whether man or animal. The initial date of harvest was also a subject of many decrees, with extremely severe penalties for those who violated them.
Returning to the Falletti, it should be said that Gerolamo IV's good fortune in military events did not carry over to family matters. In 1695 he married Elena Matilde Provana di Druent, the only daughter of Monssù Druent, a man described in contemporary accounts not only as haughty and capricious but also involved in court intrigues. His character was not slow to show itself; in 1700, five years after his daughter had married, he imprisoned her in the Palazzo Druent in Turin and forbade her to see her own husband. Cut off from Gerolamo and their three children born during their happy marriage, she took her life a few days later. Later, upon the death of her father, the last of the family line, Gerolamo IV inherited his father-in-law’s wealth and palace, known today as Palazzo Barolo.
Only two other marquises followed Gerolamo IV: Ottavio Alessandro Falletti, a man of lively intelligence more dedicated to his studies than to his military or political career, and Carlo Tancredi. Tancredi was also a man of studies, but it was as a philanthropist that he truly distinguished himself. He shared this passion with his French wife, Juliette Colbert, granddaughter of the famous minister of the Sun King. Tancredi was not only a state councilor but also an able administrator, twice nominated mayor of Turin, where he put into practice policies benefiting the disadvantaged that were far ahead of his time. His generosity lead to his premature death in 1835 when he fell victim to the cholera epidemic; although he survived, he never fully recovered. He died three years later. The last chapter of Falletti family history concerns the last Falletti marquess, the noted Juliette Colbert, who also played a significant part in the history of Barolo wine.
The marquess Colbert, who loved defining herself as a politically reactionary Vendéen was a woman of great culture and education. Despite a streak of impulsiveness, the marquess quickly distinguished herself for her brilliance and clear thinking. Thus, while she was involved in more than one controversy, she was also keenly involved in helping the poor, an activity looked down upon by the aristocratic establishment of the time. She was, in short, a woman who in addition to being an activist and innovator in the field of enology influenced the intellectual and political life of the area for over fifty years. Before her death in 1864, she had already stipulated that her philanthropic works should continue in the Barolo Charitable Organization, to which she left her entire family inheritance.

However, the story does not end there. From that time on, Barolo suffered its ups and downs, as did its viticulture. As elsewhere, the farming culture paid heavy dues, with hard conditions, to which phylloxera contributed its share, forcing farmers to abandon family lands and emigrate. The first few years following the Second World War, movingly described by Beppe Fenoglio in Malora, were scarcely less difficult. A new period then began, that lasted into the 1960s, an exodus to the cities in search of more stable jobs and wider horizons; this led to further abandonment of the countryside, which was fortunately less severe in the Barolo area than the Alta Langa or other areas of Piedmont. Recent years have seen a surprising reversal: young people are deliberately choosing to be grape-growers, largely influenced by the nearby Alba School of Enology, and those even older are returning to the vineyards, all of this brought about by renewed interest in wine and in the improved income it can bring.
Today, Barolo is a wine town in every sense of the word: its intense perfume wafts around every street corner. Nor is Barolo wine like other wines, for it has transformed its town into a kind of sacred place, to which followers of the pagan wine cult must, from time to time, pay homage with a pilgrimage. This tradition has for some time been translated into concrete results, leading to a gradual increase in tourism and significant value added to the local economy. Not to say that this has changed the locals' tranquil character or their rhythm of life. Unlike other towns that suddenly become famous for their wine, you should not be surprised to discover that Barolo’s inhabitants remain humble and courteous. Whether at the local bakery or at the pharmacist's, it is not uncommon to wait while the person ahead updates the shopkeeper on the health of his family. Should you find yourself in that queue, do not be annoyed, do not be impatient: fall, rather, into the rhythm of the place, gentle as the hills that watch over this magical town.