History
Come and travel back in time, discovering vestiges of the past everywhere.
Here historic restanques will lead you to discover a vineyard of great quality and a Chateau full of charm.
-241 BC
Via aurelia
Representation of the Via Aurelia on the Peutinger table (13th-century copy of an ancient Roman map) between Aix-en-Provence and Fréjus. The Via Aurelia is an ancient Roman road linking Rome to ancient Gaul, built in 241 BC. It stopped at Luni during the Republican era, on the Mediterranean side of northern Tuscany. Under Emperor August, it was extended into Liguria as far as Vado and the Var river at Nice. Although named Via Giulia Augusta at the time, it is now known by its original name. It was used to conquer the Ligurian tribes and led to the foundation of major towns such as Forum Julii (Frejus) and small villages like Forum Voconii (Vidauban). The Via Aurelia was used to exchange crops and goods such as oil and wine. Finally, the château was built along this historic route in the 10th century.
800 – 1200
Fouant Lado, the birth of the great fountain
History in the making
The first traces of the estate may be found in the Polyptych of Wadalde, which was drawn up between the ninth and tenth century and which describes the estate among the many possessions of the monks of Saint Victor. It is preserved in the departmental archives of Bouches du Rhône. Nevertheless, it is likely that the Domaine’s existence can be traced back to the Gallo-Roman period.
The fort is located on the Mistral spring, which fed a large pool: “Fouant Lado”, “Fontaine Large”, which gave its name to the Domaine.
Historic visitors
Among the most emblematic historical figures to have visited this area are the Comptes de Provence and Saint Thomas Aquinas, on their journey from Naples to Paris in the 13th century.
And in Christian chronicles, the story of Marie Magdalena’s passage through the Sainte Baume massif to the Basilica of Saint Maximin, where her relics are said to be preserved.
Château Bellini renews this vocation to welcome and share what is beautiful and good, opening its doors to travelers in search of taste and authenticity.
1600 – 1700
A new life for the chateau
An Authentic restoration
This is not a restructuring, but a restoration of the late 17th and early 18th century building, respecting its original nature, optimizing and improving the spaces to make it suitable for a high-level form of hospitality.
The architectural and design choices aim to highlight the beauties of the place by reproposing them in more modern keys, with a deep attention to detail.
Beautiful materials
The different materials, all noble and rare, come in part from Italy, as if to seal the strong and ancient bonds between the two regions created by the Via Aurelia over almost 2000 years. Italian flavors and atmospheres blend with the light of Provence to welcome you to a place of unforgettable elegance.
2016
The rebirth of the domaine
n 2016, during the commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the death of the famous Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini, the Domaine was acquired by Tom Bove, who wanted to honor this great artist and his own Italian origins with a heartfelt reminder in the name of the Château.
Equally, it calls to memory the great Sicilian composer Vincenzo Bellini, author of the Norma, Casta Diva or i Puritani, among others.
2022
Our vineyard
The estate covers approximately 35 hectares of terraced land, mostly composed of clay-limestone soil, rich in natural stones, which gives our wines their minerality and freshness.
The vines now occupy 15 hectares and are surrounded by a magnificent oak forest.
The region has a continental climate, with hot summers contrasted by cool nights, followed by winters with light night frosts but pleasant daytime temperatures: ideal conditions for vine-growing, which have contributed to the establishment of viticulture in the region since ancient times.
When the Domaine was acquired, a complete restructuring of the plots and land began to give our plants all the right conditions for growth and production, with total respect for nature and organic farming.
