For two centuries we have been working on this land... which is also our home. Santo Pietro was purchased on September 3, 1818 by the Cupane family and in 1934 it came in succession to my great-grandmother Maria Cupane, who had married the Marquis Corrado Vergara Caffarelli. Since then, Santo Pietro is the heritage of the Vergara Caffarelli, dukes of Craco and Marquises of Comignano: first my great-grandfather Corrado, then my grandfather Fortunato, and today my father Francesco and I, Marta. Four generations joined by the sense of belonging to this land and its traditions. But this is the recent history of Santo Pietro.
Originally, more than a thousand years ago, these lands belonged to the Byzantine monastery of San Pietro di Deca, founded by monks of the Basilian order in the period before the 9th century, in the territory of San Marco d'Alunzio, in the province of Messina. The ruins of the monastery are still present in our olive groves and have been studied in several archaeological excavation campaigns by the School of Byzantine Studies of the University of Vienna (Austria) between 2002 and 2008. The discovery of a gold coin by the Emperor of Byzantium Michael II allowed it to be dated to the period 820-829 A.D.
It was probably abandoned during the centuries of Muslim rule, to return to new life under the Norman king Roger II who re-founded it, equipping it with land and rents.
The monastery was active until the first decades of the 17th century. Then, with the disappearance of Greek monasticism, it went into disrepair, although the main octagonal building with the dome remains standing to this day and between the eighteenth and nineteenth century was habitually used as a barn and shelter for shepherds.
In 2015 it was restored by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Messina.
Santo Pietro is a farm, active for over two centuries, located on the hills at the foot of the ancient city of San Marco d'Alunzio, on the northern coast of the province of Messina, in front of the Aeolian Islands.
This territory has always been suitable for the cultivation of olive trees and in particular of the local varieties Santagatese, Oglialora messinese and Minuta, those that constitute the traditional heritage for the production of extra virgin olive oil recognized with the Protected Designation of Origin : "Valdemone".
In addition to ca. 40 hectares of traditional olive groves with ca. 6,000 centuries-old plants, today there are also almost three hectares of olive grove in irrigated intensive cultivation with about 4,000 olive trees of the Spanish variety Arbequina, planted in 2014.
Down the hills, a small plain is home to ca. 5 hectares of citrus groves with lemons of the Varieties Femminello Comune and Zagara Bianca and a mangoes plantation of 800 plants, also planted in 2014, with the varieties Kensington Pride, Tommy Atkins and Osteen.
As in all old farms, there is no shortage of summer gardens, chicken coops, hives and ... four cute donkeys.
For over 25 years, the whole estate has been conducted according to the rules of organic farming, with the total absence of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Azienda agricola biologica Marta Vergara
Contrada S. Pietro 98070 - Torrenova (ME) - Italia
+39 348 819 45 72 +39 335 687 62 63
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
C.F. VRGMRT92C69G273F - P.Iva: 06075160827
Azienda agricola biologica Marta Vergara
Contrada S. Pietro
98070 - Torrenova (ME) - Italia
+39 348 819 45 72
+39 335 687 62 63
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
C.F. VRGMRT92C69G273F - P.Iva: 06075160827