In Ortona, Italy’s first wine fountain

A special place with a special history

For all lovers of good wine and not only in Ortona, specifically inside the Dora Sarchese Winery (Contrada Caldari Stazione, 65), there is a fountain from which (free) red wine flows continuously. Yes, you got it right: instead of water, excellent Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, one of the most famous and sought-after Italian wines, flows. Although there are several similar fountains in Italy, this one is considered the first because the other existing ones, such as the historic ones in Carosino (Taranto), San Floriano del Collio (Gorizia) and Marino (Rome), open their taps exclusively on special occasions.

The idea of making a wine fountain in Abruzzo came to Dina Cespa and Luigi Narcisi, two passionate walkers from Ortona, who during their pilgrimage to the tomb of Santiago de Compostela came across the Bodegas Irache winery’s famous wine fountain in Navarre, in Spain, installed to welcome in an original way the many pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. The two thus decided to replicate it on the route they themselves had helped to create, the Way of St. Thomas, an itinerary (about 316 kilometers) that is cultural, naturalistic and spiritual and connects the city of Rome with St. Peter’s Basilica in Ortona, custodian of the remains of the Apostle since 1258. The idea immediately received the support of Nicola D’Auria, owner of the Dora Sarchese Winery (located right along the way), with whom they studied and put the project into practice.

It was created by renowned Abruzzo architect Rocco Valentini. The fountain is placed inside a large old wooden barrel, which had been unused by the company until then. The principle is to get the pilgrim/visitor inside the barrel and make him “feel wine”. The inscription “Drink wine, for thou knowest not whence thou camest: be glad, for thou knowest not whither thou wilt go“, which is the third of the Persian philosopher Omar Khayyām’s twelve quatrains of love, stands out on the inside walls of the barrel.

The idea began as a way to refresh pilgrims on the St. Thomas Walk but has embraced onlookers and tourists of all kinds. Opened in 2016, the fountain in recent years has received thousands of visitors from all over the world. Reservations are not required to visit it, the important thing is. abide by three rules: the fountain is open during the same opening hours as the winery; you can drink as much wine as you want for free but you can’t take any home; you must be at least 16 years old to drink.