… since 1950 roots in history

Roots in history: in 1950, Giovanni Domini intensively cultivated lavender in the Chianti hills at Casalvento. Black-and-white image with Casalvento in the background
... from 1950

Our Roots in History

Casalvento is a country house

Roots in history and the local area. Casalvento is situated at an altitude of 620 meters on a historic hill in the Chianti Classico region, which Professor Giovanni Dòmini purchased in 1950 along with a few hectares of land.

The hill on which it stands was once called Salingolpe, after the Etruscan settlement that had inhabited it since the 6th century BC.

In 1478, with the complete destruction of the historic village, that name no longer referred to the hill, but only to the house and land of the "parish benefice of San Salvatore." The hill took the name of Castellina Vecchia (or Castellinaccia) to denote the state of things and places, and a house was built almost at its summit, no one knows when or how.

This is Casalvento: a house made entirely of exposed stone that was originally intended to be small and then, through subsequent additions, expanded to accommodate both humans and animals under the same roof. In 1950, Casalvento, in addition to the signs of poverty, also bore clear signs of war. A barren, rocky hill besieged by bushes and aromatic plants.

Young Chianina calf in front of Casalvento in the 50s with the family of settlers who cultivated the company
The Etruscan experience

The fragrant wild lavender, which grew abundantly and spontaneously on that difficult, calcareous soil, was used in Roman times by the Etruscans. We know that they were expert pharmacists and perfumers, dedicated to collecting medicinal plants and flowers to sell in the streets of ancient Rome. Aryballoi, Likytoi, Bullae, and others were the typical containers in which the highly scented ointments were stored and sold 2,500 years ago. Glass, ceramic, and alabaster were the materials chosen for these precious vessels.

The shape, always very small and equipped with an applicator nozzle, could resemble an animal, a fruit, or a part of the human body. The containers were unlabeled but finely painted and embellished with meticulously crafted surfaces.

In Mesopotamia, perfume bottles were made of glass and came in various colors and shapes, with elongated forms to prevent the perfume from evaporating.

Casalvento, in the Kingdom of Perfume since 1960

Roots in history are also this. Reproducing the plant, cultivating it, cutting the flowers, and creating a commercial product was a commitment that lasted several years, and finally, in 1962, the first drops of perfume emerged from our first, simple extractor.

The distillers that produced the essences have been replaced over the years with increasingly larger and more functional models. The extraction method, however, has always remained the same: we use steam, an inert and pure substance that does not interfere with the natural qualities of the essences.

A special generator produce a steam which passes through the plant mass stored in a large copper or stainless steel still. The essential oil contained in the flowers is then drawn away and recondensed in a coil, separating from the aromatic waters (hydrolates) in a "Florentine" vase. This technique, whose invention is lost in the mists of time and well described by Avicenna in the year 1000, was perfected in the 19th century and has remained virtually unchanged in its physical principles to this day.

What we have gained in the third millennium is perfect control of every stage of the process (temperature, duration, pressure, flow, etc.) to achieve the best possible product quality.

In 1962, the famous Sienese painter Vittorio Zani

designed a beautiful, classic label for Casalvento's perfume bottles. A unique label for original packaging and an "ancient" essence. Zani also designed the logo for Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, labels for Brunello di Montalcino, several brands of Panforte and Sienese sweets, and much more.

"Lavanda del Chianti" is a name that indicates the unmistakable properties and origin of this perfume. Long before Chianti became "Classico," the scent of its lavender was desired by every woman for herself and her home.

Our work isn’t just about creating - it’s about making a difference.

Let's make an Impact together

+
0
k
Plants
+
0
k
Happy Clients
+
0
k
Coffee Cups