Res Antiqva
As members of the founding family of Bottega Veneta, Res Antiqva is unified by a deep connection to Italian culture and lifestyle. Their farm, located in the hills along Lago Di Bolsena, embodies this connection and is a sanctuary for the family, their trees and our honeybees.
“We are humbled by our farm's natural gifts and are proud to use time-tested processes to preserve them. Our mission at RES ANTIQVA, Latin for "the old way of doing things" is to honor the traditions and passions of Italy, while still focusing on what matters most: quality. We are excited to share this way, and this brand, with you”.
The Res Antiqva estate lies on the northern shore of Lake Bolsena in the Tuscia area which marks the natural border between Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio regions. Orvieto, a marvellous city of arts and culture, is only 15 kilometers away.
Lake Bolsena was formed more than 300 000 years ago, in the ancient crater of a volcano from the Volsini mountain chain. The largest volcanic lake in Europe, it is famed for the purity and exceptional mineral richness of its waters – fishermen of the region have a saying, “the lake you can drink” – where a vast variety of fish can be found, appreciated for their flavor and quality. These include eels made famous by Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy.
During Etruscan times, the lake knew a period of splendor and prosperity that continued through the alternate times of the Romans, Lombards and Saracens until the Middle Ages marked a period of decline. The great poet Francesco Petrarca, who was struck by the direness of the situation, even asked Pope Clement VI to intervene by putting the lake under the control of the Church.
Today, the lake still presents to visitors its uncontaminated natural environment as described by Goethe, English painter Turner and French musician Berlioz who described Bolsena as “a delicious Eden.”
On the grounds of the Res Antiqva stands the Rentica house where the Arte Povera movement was born at the turn of the 20th century. Under the guidance of Roman gallerist Plinio de Martiis, it was transformed into the serendipitous location where two generations of artists, among which Mimmo Rotella, Willem de Kooning, Karsten Greve, Luciano Pistoi, Lucio Amelio, Mario Schifano, Leo Castelli and Jannis Kounellis, come to work and collide under exceptional circumstances.