O R Y A N D T H E L E G E N D
Around the Year 1000
O N A A V A D T H E S V E N H A N D M A I D S
Along the Via Francigena near Monteriggioni, on February 4, 1001, Donna Ava Zenovi dei Lombardi, widow of Ildebrando, Lord of Staggia, founded the Benedictine monastery of Abbadia Isola together with her sons Tegrimo and Bonizio, Lords of Staggia, endowing it with great wealth.
Legend has it that Donna Ava built seven churches: Marmoraia, Molli, Pernina, Pievescola, Simignano, Pietralata, and Pieve a Castello. All of them share certain distinctive features: their façades face west, the altar is positioned to the east, and three slanted steps lead inside, compelling those who enter to bow before the House of God.
It is said that since the Middle Ages, Donna Ava cared for her people with the help of her seven handmaids, each of whom possessed a unique gift: Firmina, Love; Aranda, Happiness; Lucilla, Freedom; Oletta, Time; Arella, Well-being; Arania, Harmony; Nina, Communion.
The wines of Poggio ai Laghi are dedicated to Donna Ava and her handmaids.
Discover the Wine Collection.
The gratitude to these 8 women is still woven deeply into Tuscan culture. Unique to Italian culture is the fact that good deeds and good people are never forgotten, no matter how many centuries pass by.
The enthusiasm for these women has permeated through centuries inspiring even local artists, including our own, more than a thousand years later.
We have tried to pair each one of our wines with the attributes of one of the women to whom this town holds so dearly…
She predicted the future through dreams. Thanks to her, Donna Ava saved the population from an impending epidemic.
Her eyes were always turned to the sky. A dreamer and a romantic, she loved watching the stars and drawing them with clarity and precision.
She loved plants and flowers and knew all their healing properties. She taught the peasants the benefits of these natural remedies so they could use them when needed.
She knew how to use the loom. Arella provided her with berries, earth, leaves, and petals to create colorful threads, and Oletta’s works were so beautiful that Donna Ava asked her to teach this art to the women of Montemaggio.
She loved children. When they were sick or cried, she would bring them “pope” (rag dolls), which had the power to heal, soothe, and lull them to sleep.
She was one of the handmaids closest to family life and had a passion for sounds. The locals considered hearing her song on one’s wedding day a good omen.
experiences
Let's Get Together!
The estate is located 1.5 km from the Monteriggioni exit of the freeway between
Siena and Florence and can be reached by car and bus. Thanks to its proximity to the
freeway and the spaces offered in the middle of the Tuscan countryside, Poggio ai
Laghi is the ideal place to host private and corporate events
– Weddings
– Special occasions (parties, anniversaries)
– Corporate events (conventions, meetings, team building)