Museo del Sagrantino

Montefalco's Sagrantino Museum presents the history and culture of the local grape inside the former cellars of the Franciscan complex of San Francesco.

Why it matters

The museum connects Sagrantino with the agricultural and cultural history of Montefalco. Its objects and interpretation show how the grape and its wines have changed over time and become part of the region's identity.

What to notice

The cellar displays include wooden presses, fermentation vats and tools from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The objects are accompanied by visual material and recorded testimony about grape cultivation, wine-making and local traditions. A fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli in the church of San Francesco includes a red-wine cruet, linking the complex's art with the area's viticulture.

Context and history

The Sagrantino Museum opened in 2024 within the San Francesco complex. Written evidence for Sagrantino dates at least to 1549. The grape was historically used to make passito wine from dried grapes; dry Sagrantino later gained DOC status in 1979 and DOCG status in 1992. The museum's setting in former Franciscan cellars links this wine history with the town's religious and cultural heritage.