Franciacorta: origins of the name
 

A pair of weeks ago I have been to Berlucchi cellars, in Borgonato
(Brescia), and had the usual tour of the estate. During the tour, the PR man
told us where the name of the region came from: Francae Curtis, which was
the name for those fields ("curtis") who had been made free ("francae") for
the use by paesants, thus leading to the modern Franciacorta. Same origin,
but reversed words, has the name Cortefranca, the Franciacorta town which
includes Borgonato.
Anybody has heard of other origins?
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

Franciacorta: origins of the name
 

"Vilco" > wrote:

> A pair of weeks ago I have been to Berlucchi cellars, in
> Borgonato (Brescia), and had the usual tour of the estate.
> During the tour, the PR man told us where the name of the region
> came from: Francae Curtis, which was the name for those fields
> ("curtis") who had been made free ("francae") for the use by
> paesants, thus leading to the modern Franciacorta. Same origin,
> but reversed words, has the name Cortefranca, the Franciacorta
> town which includes Borgonato.
> Anybody has heard of other origins?

Yes Sir!

From Maurizio Zanella (Ca' del Bosco). Sometimes in the distant
past the region was occupied by the French. A local uprise was
successfull, the occupants were thrown out of the region, the
battle cry of the insurrectionists being "la Francia e corta",
"[the way to] France is short".

But he added that this was only one theory amongst another two
or three.

M.