The 30th anniversary of Ferruccio Ferragamo’s acquisition of Il Borro: “a lasting act of faith”

The deep connection that everyone has with wine can be told in many ways, but doing so through one’s personal, intimate and family history restores a sense of how great his or her passion can be. And just as in a “scrapbook of memories”, the new exhibition “1993-2023 Il Borro - An Act of Faith that Endures” at Il Borro’s Vino & Arte Gallery, which opened yesterday on the 30th anniversary of Ferruccio Ferragamo’s acquisition of the historic estate, traces through the imaginative language of engravings the path that led one of Italy’s most important entrepreneurs, forerunner of the union between fashion and wine to shift his attention from Florence, the heart of the family business, one of the most prestigious brands in Italian fashion, to the countryside of Valdarno, finding in the ancient medieval village not only a buen retiro for himself and his family, but an ideal place for a new idea of business, through a major restoration process, implemented with full respect for the history, tradition and nature of the place. A passion shared today together with his children: Salvatore Ferragamo, responsible for the wine business and hospitality, and Vittoria Ferragamo, responsible for sustainability.
Based on the private collection of engravings with the subject of wine and its infinite representations of which Ferruccio Ferragamo is one of the best-known and greatest collectors, enriched each year by new masterpieces, the exhibition, ranging from Chagall to Picasso to Giorgio Morandi’s “Still Life”, reconstructs the history of Il Borro Estate.
The memories of this place are also evoked through a floral installation that recalls the typical flowers and plants of Tuscany, dried between the pages of an imaginary book of memories, capable of immersing the visitor in the magic of Il Borro.
An opportunity to recount the deep bond that led Ferruccio Ferragamo to Il Borro, guided by instinct, vocation and childhood memories (in the coming days Winenews will also bring you a video on the history of Il Borro and the exhibition with interviews with Ferruccio, Salvatore and Vittoria Ferragamo, ed.). A love story born 70 years ago, when parents Salvatore and Wanda Ferragamo bought the Viesca Estate, also in Valdarno, where the family spent summers, observing and learning the work of the countryside. Ferruccio Ferragamo bought the estate in 1993, bringing it back to life, enhancing its history, memories and excellence, through the redevelopment of the ancient vineyards in 1995, entry into the prestigious Relais & Châteaux Association in 2012 and the complete transition to organic in 2015.
Milestones that today make Il Borro an Estate strongly devoted to respect for the environment and sustainable practices, which uses renewable sources saving 930 tons of Co2 each year, a winery of international standing that produces over 400,000 bottles of certified organic wine, a Relais with over 50 suites between the Medieval Village and the Aie of Il Borro, and a Concept Restaurant - Il Borro Tuscan Bistro - that brings Il Borro’s philosophy and style to the world.
But, above all, today Il Borro is a place where tradition and innovation coexist in an organic farm and winery, dedicated to hospitalitỳ and farm-to-table dining, but with an eye always turned to art and collecting, in a story made of passion and authenticitỳ made in Italy, in wine as in fashion.