Wine Press and Ice House of Palazzo Vertemate Franchi: The Agricultural Buildings

The eastern side of the complex is home to the rural area, where buildings once used for managing the agricultural estate can still be seen. Some of these structures even predate the construction of the palace, bearing witness to the site’s long-standing rural vocation.

Among the most important features is the screw wine press, used for processing grapes. Compared with the older beam presses traditionally found throughout the Valchiavenna, it represents a more advanced type of press and documents the evolution of local winemaking techniques.

Beside the wine press stands the ice house, an ingenious system used to preserve food throughout the year. Snow and ice collected during the winter were stored inside a deep cylindrical chamber, while the side niches connected to the central cavity were used to keep food cool for long-term preservation.

Among the structures associated with the chestnut grove were also the drying house, used for drying chestnuts, and the still employed to produce grappa from grape pomace. Together, these buildings show that Palazzo Vertemate Franchi was not only an elegant residence but also the centre of a complex agricultural system fully integrated with the landscape of the Valchiavenna.

Visiting the agricultural buildings of Palazzo Vertemate Franchi offers the opportunity to discover a lesser-known aspect of the estate, where traditional tools, preservation techniques and farming activities tell the story of everyday life in this great Renaissance residence.