Col San Martino

Col San Martino is a small town in the province of Treviso along the beautiful Raboso stream. This graceful town is as rich in history and traditions as it is in visuals. There is archaeological evidence that the Farra Di Soligo area had inhabitants since prehistoric times. This town also had Roman influence, as suggested by the coins and bricks found from that area here, and also faced certain damages during World War I.

Since this town is located on the Strada Del Prosecco ”, Prosecco is of utmost importance in this town and since 1966 Col San Martino organizes the “Mostra Interprovinciale del Prosecco D.O.C.G. do Col San Martino” an annual event dedicated to celebrating and spreading knowledge about Prosecco. The Prosecco found here is of light color as without the skins there is no presence of tannins and makes it smooth- it also has the ripe wild apple scent.

Additionally, according to a local legend, there was a man named Marco Bortolo who cultivated grapevines around the church of S. Martino and while doing so he put his entire soul into it. The resulting wine that he obtained from this dedication was so exquisite that he dubbed it “Elixir Prosecco”. But soon the local nobles found out about this and asked their servants to go harvest Bortolos grapes without even asking for his permission. Bortolo feeling powerless felt like he had no other option but to hide the grapes and the wine he had.

At the foot of a hill was a gigantic oak tree planted by the god Endymion, son of Zeus and it was also sacred and this excellent to hide the literal fruits of his hard work. Bortolo worked hard for months and dug a hole from his vineyard to beneath the oak tree where he built a cellar and could safely make more of the “Elixir Prosecco” to be enjoyed only by the right owner and his friends.

Apart from being known for Prosecco, Col San Martino is also famous for its spectacular beauty and historical and holy monuments. The three main churches in Col san martino are the Chiesa Parrocchiale di Col San Martino, the Chiesa di San Vigilio and the Chiesa Parrocchiale di Col San Martino. The Chiesa Parrocchiale di Col San Martino is located in the center of the town dates to 1898 and also has a bell tower.

The Chiesa di San Vigilio is an 11th-century church built in the post-Carolingian style on a hill in the nearby village of Posmon: it houses beautiful frescos dating the 15th century by a painter named Giovanni du Francia. And last but not the least, the most famous church is the Chiesa del Colle di San Martino and is remembered as one of the thirty-six parish churches of the diocese of Cenedese. This church is known for a centuries-old tradition named “Cavar Nomi” (which in the local dialect means “extract names”).

This tradition originated from a fourth-century Hungarian Bishop named St. Martin of Tours who was worshipped in Col San Martino as he was known for having brought a stillborn baby to life, an act depicted in the parish church of the town. During this time, infant mortality was high and so the local couples who were expecting a baby or wanted to start a family asked for the Saint’s protection and blessings. They did so by extracting a piece of paper in which a male or female name was written and then they would give this name to their unborn child.

This tradition was evidently successful as you can find testimonies left by the grateful families left at the parish church and the octagonal church nearby. Even to this day, many couples from near and far places visit the church for blessings to start their new family, however sometimes the extracted names are too unusual and ancient and require a second extraction to find a more acceptable and modern name.

Apart from being known for this beautiful tradition, the small town of Col San Martino is a delight to the eyes as it is surrounded by hills on all sides and is perfect for a weekend trip or a historical stroll. 

We invite you to visit this beautiful place and discover the magic of the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area with Casanova Prosecco.