Among the hills of Valtenesi, you don’t just breathe wine. You breathe history.
An ancient story, rooted in a distant past, when these lands were the stage for battles, strategies, and conquests. A time when Lake Garda was not just a landscape to admire, but a strategic point at the heart of the Roman Empire.
268 AD: when history crossed Valtenesi
It was 268 AD when Emperor Claudius II Gothicus led an army of around thirty-five thousand men through these very lands.
The objective was to stop the advance of the Alemanni, a numerically superior enemy. The battle was decisive: the Roman victory restored stability and control to this territory, marking a crucial turning point in the region’s history.
Today, walking among the vineyards, it is hard to imagine the clash of weapons, the movement of troops, the tension of those moments. And yet, that history is still here. Silent, but present.
A story that takes shape on the walls
At Cantina Bottenago, this memory has not been forgotten. It has been transformed into art.
Artist Lino Gentili chose to tell the Roman history of Valtenesi through a series of murals that decorate the spaces of the winery. A project that brings together historical research, artistic sensitivity, and a deep connection to the territory.
On the walls come to life:
- the face of the emperor
- the landscape as it was in Roman times
- the flora studied down to the smallest detail
- the Roman road that led to the imperial villa
It is not just decoration, but a true visual narrative. A way to give form to what is no longer visible, yet continues to live beneath the surface.
The winery as a place of experience
Visiting Cantina Bottenago means experiencing something that goes beyond wine.
It means immersing yourself in a place where every element, from the landscape to the walls, tells a story. Where the present dialogues with the past, and where wine becomes part of a broader narrative.
Because some places, even before being visited, must be listened to.
Wine as the common thread
In this context, wine is not only the protagonist, but also the interpreter.
Each bottle signed by Bottenago carries with it the character of Valtenesi, a land shaped by time, nature, and history.
Tasting a glass here means connecting with something deeper: a culture, an identity, a memory.
A journey between past and present
Cantina Bottenago is the meeting point of three dimensions: territory, history, and art.
A place where wine is only the beginning of a journey that spans centuries and reaches the present day, transforming into an experience.
Because Valtenesi is not only to be seen.
It is to be experienced and, above all, to be listened to.