A small village that has remained unchanged as if by magic since the 1600s with a traditional tavern where you can stop and taste the magnificent red wine that takes its name: welcome to Borgo Malanotte, a bucolic oasis in Tezze di Piave immersed in the quiet of the Treviso countryside.
The name of this small village in the province of Vazzola, whose documented origins date back to 1400, derives from that of an ancient family of wool merchants, the Malanotti or Malenotti originally from Trentino.
Located along the road that led to the ford of Lovadina, an important crossing point of the Piave river and a strategic position for trade, it is here that, towards the second half of the 1600s, a branch of the Malanotte moved from Venice. They built a villa there, today Villa Rossi De Rubeis, from the name of the family currently owning it, and the Oratory of San Giovanni Battista, whose consecration dates back to 1691. A map of 1695 represents Borgo Malanotte just as it appears to us today, thus allowing us the rare emotion, visiting it, to take a real journey back in time.
Borgo Malanotte is an open-air museum, an oasis of peace in the countryside of the Piave plain, which gives life to the famous red wine that bears its name.
(Consorzio Vini Venezia)
The area, since Roman times, was famous for the cultivation of vines. It was precisely in the period of domination of the Serenissima Republic of Venice that Raboso began to be cultivated which gave life to a strong wine, the so-called “vin da viajio” (travel wine), ideal for enduring long journeys thanks to its acidity and tannin characteristics.
The famous DOCG Malanotte del Piave, recognized in 2010 and today under the protection of the Consorzio Vini Venezia, owes its name to this small village where its production began. Over the years, a refined elegance has been added to its innate strength, obtained thanks to a process of drying of the Raboso grapes, thus making it the maximum enological expression of this territory.
A short distance from the Borgo, you can still visit the Bellussere, the historic vineyards where Raboso was grown. A very original method, invented by the Bellussi brothers at the end of the 19th century, which involved the cultivation of vines suspended several meters from the ground. The scope was leaving space under the ground for other crops or grazing whilst at the same time avoiding that the humidity of the earth favored some diseases.
And after a visit to the Bellussere, to taste the Malanotte del Piave DOCG wine and be told other ancient legends about the Borgo, you can stop and eat at the Osteria al Cortivo, located right inside the small village, where you can breathe the rustic atmosphere of old traditional trattorias.
Between one glass of wine and another, you will likely to be told other fascinating stories. Like the one linked, on May 22, 1918, to the shooting down, just above the Borgo, of an enemy fighter by the famous Francesco Baracca, the “ace of aces” pilot who inspired the Ferrari logo with his Prancing Horse. Malanotte became, in fact, during the Great War, an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian army and the scene of grueling fighting, as evidenced by the trench still present in the village, which is still perfectly preserved.
A truly unmissable visit for those who want to savor an authentic corner of Veneto with an intense and generous history like the wine that has made it famous today.
The Secret
It is said that Camilla Malanotte, the last inhabitant of the villa (before the current owners) between 1861 and 1895, the year of her death, used to organize lavish parties that soon became famous throughout the area, attracting many rumors and gossip to it. There is still the memory of the endless line of carriages lined up along the avenue of the Villa, called Cavalchina, with the pages in livery that accompanied the illustrious guests through the torch-lit gardens.
Useful Info
Consorzio Vini Venezia
Via Businello 3
31040 Portobuffolè, Treviso
Tel. +39 0422 850045
Osteria al Cortivo
Borgo Malanotte 8/10
31028 Vazzola, Treviso
Tel. +39 333 9164848