“The river taught me to listen, and you too will learn from it. He knows everything, the river, everything can be learned from him. You see, you have already learned this from the water, that it is good to descend, to tend downward, to seek the depth “.
Hermann Hesse
Our territory
Villa Canthus winery was founded in 1987 on the right bank of the middle course of the Piave river, in the heart of a territory that has always been linked to the presence of the river.
Our territory is a vast and fertile plain that goes from the sea to the Prealps: sands, gravels and clay make up the soil, sprinkled with veins of deep water. And the roots of the cultivation of vines are deep in these lands, lands of nobles and proud and industrious peasants.
The long hegemony of the Serenissima Republic of Venice increased and consolidated viticulture: the “Dominante”, in its taverns (the bàcari), poured wines of the Piave in abundance, especially the Raboso, defined the “vin da viajo” (wine from voyage), which for centuries was the only wine exported from Venice to the East
The Piave river and the Great War
Our territory was the scene of some of the decisive battles of the First World War: on the banks of the Piave river, the Great War became a legend. Having become the new defensive trench of the nation, the Piave allowed the Italian military forces to resist the massive offensive of the Austro-Hungarians in the “Battle of the Solstice” in June 1918. On that occasion, the Austrian advance was also prevented by a sudden full of the river, which is mentioned in the famous patriotic hymn “The song of the Piave”.
Major Francesco Mignone, the hero of Piave
Just along the bend of Lampol on the shore of Fossalta, where Villa Canthus is located, a strenuous resistance was fought by three hundred soldiers led by Major Francesco Mignone: for three days, from 15 to 17 June 1918, the military resisted the heavy offensive. Major Mignone was shot to death by a Hungarian sniper when he was only 34 years old; we dedicated a special edition of one of our wines, “Il Raboso di Francesco” to him and his courage.
Hemingway in Fossalta di Piave
In the same period, Ernest Hemingway, future Nobel Prize for literature, was in the Fossalta area: he, then eighteen, was enlisted with the United States Red Cross. Hemingway was hit by shrapnel from an explosion and, despite the injuries, he did his utmost to rescue other wounded soldiers; hospitalized for three months in a hospital in Milan, from this personal experience he drew his famous novel A Farewell to Arms.
Reconstruction and rebirth
The First World War left desolate lands and abandoned vineyards, but the heroic deeds of the Battle of the Solstice were followed by the courage and resistance of the people of the Piave, who worked tirelessly for rebirth. Since then, the journey has continued in the direction of qualitative evolution, between history, beauty of the landscape, food and wine and emotions of a territory that has suffered so much but has been able to rise again with dignity and strength, the same strength of the Piave, the “sacred river to the Fatherland “.
Venetian wine tasting at Villa Canthus
Villa Canthus, which miraculously escaped the destruction of the Great War and renovated in 1987, is immersed in a luxuriant park and offers enchanting spaces, both inside and outside, to host various types of events, such as business dinners and typical wine tasting.
Fossalta di Piave is part of the Friendship Cycle Route, a cycle route that connects Munich to Venice exclusively along existing roads and giving those who want to enjoy the challenge on two wheels the opportunity to admire spectacular landscapes and enchanting cities.
Villa Canthus is also located just 10 minutes by car from the Noventa di Piave Outlet Village, the closest quality shopping center to Venice. With over 100 stores including single-brand and multi-brand boutiques, the Designer Outlet offers a wide selection of products from the best fashion brands, with price reductions ranging from 35% to 70%; on request, a personal shopper service is available.
An excellent opportunity, therefore, to combine a day of shopping with a wine tasting, accompanied by appetizers, “cicchetti”, jams and homemade biscuits: contact us to book your private tasting!
