Our Story

Traveling along the roads leading from the ancient city of Volterra toward the sea, one arrives at Pagani de Marchi, a winery located in the open countryside at Casale Marittimo on an archaeological site of Etruscan origin dating back to a period between the 7th and 4th centuries.B.C. One of the discoveries made at the archaeological site hints, that vine cultivation in the area was already conducted in Etruscan times, more than 2,500 years ago. In one of the tombs present, attributed to a wealthy personage called the "Warrior Prince," numerous tools related to the cultivation of vines and wine were found, as indispensable utensils for the afterlife, for one who was certainly a lover of good wine. The name of the farm is linked to the family of owner Pia Pagani de Marchi, originally from Lugano in Switzerland, who bought the farm in the early 1980s with an annex of about 8 hectares in the municipality of Casale Marittimo in the province of Pisa, a few kilometers from Volterra, as a summer vacation home. Originally the land owned was cultivated with cereals. However, the owner and her husband, given their passion for French wines, cherished the idea of being able to produce their own wine, and in 1996 they planted their first vineyard. The meeting with Michele Satta, already an established producer in Bolgheri at the time, was decisive and fundamental in setting the winery's philosophy. Thus was born the first real winery in the Casale Marittimo area. The discovery of the archaeological area was due to a chance event. Some people a few years before the planting of the vineyard, asked the owner if they could make a hunting lodge for the "flight of pigeons." Actually later it turned out to be a cover so that they could excavate and find Etruscan artifacts in what had been identified as an "Etruscan site." Thanks to archaeologists then it was possible to reconstruct the story of the Warrior Prince who is also depicted in the first wine produced by the winery since 2001. Among the various finds unearthed, now kept in various museums, to which the winery then became inextricably linked, is the "psychopomp," a bronze duck belonging to the prince's axe found inside the tomb, which the Etruscans considered a kind of good luck charm in war. The prince's axe was found by the very lady Pia, who liked to attend excavations. Despite the archaeologists' intimations not to touch anything, one day Mrs. Pagani saw the axe sticking out of the ground and exclaimed, pulling it out, "There is something here!!!" For this reason and also for its auspicious value in wine production, the psychopomp was chosen as the company logo. The winery, built in 2001, is almost invisible from the outside, thanks to the sensitivity of the owner who took care not to disfigure the surrounding landscape. Since then, the winery has been producing wines that have always been appreciated by the Italian and international press. Thanks also to the tenacity, dedication and hospitality of owner Pia Pagani de Marchi, the winery has always been seen as a point of reference in the area and in particular for local establishments (restaurants and wine bars) for the production of high quality wines. In 2021, the owner decided to pass the baton to her son Matteo, who, following the family passion, wants to carry on his father's wish: to produce fine wines. Matteo has a deep connection with the winery and wants to give it a new direction, younger and more dynamic, while respecting the roots in which the winery is founded. To do this, he will rely on the winery's historical collaborators such as Stefano and Ilaria, as well as wine consultants Michele Satta and Attilio Pagli.