HISTORY
Sant’Agostino seen from above
ESTATE
The estate has a centuries-old history, rich in events that have involved it.
Its origins date back to around the 11th century, when owned by the Order of the Teutonic Knights it was used as a place of recollection and prayer by them before leaving for the Crusades.
It passed to the Benedictines in 1300 and then to the Monastic Order of the Augustinians in 1523, from whom it was renamed ‘Sant’Agostino’. It then became the property of the French in 1700.
It finally passed to the Ceci family in 1819, when Consalvo Ceci bought it, adding it to the already numerous possessions the family had at the time.
Account of Consalvo Ceci's lands, in particular those of the
Sant'Agostino Estate in the year 1896
Account of Consalvo Ceci's lands, in particular those of the
Sant'Agostino Estate in the year 1896
Consalvo Ceci
(1790)
He bought Sant’Agostino Estate in 1819
the
FAMILY
The Ceci family’s bond with the land has very ancient roots.
Reliable sources document the Taranto origins of the family, which settled definitively in the city of Andria at the end of the 17th century sealing an intersection between its own history and that of Apulian agriculture.
On the agronomic side, the members of the family always distinguished themselves as proponents of innovative techniques and land reclamation works.
In particular, the years 1840-1860 were of fundamental erudition for the members of the Ceci family, who were able to increase their possessions and make them bear fruit by planting olive groves and vineyards.
Furthermore, the family lineage includes a succession of prominent figures among high prelates, deputies, potentates and men of letters.
More generally, men widely distinguished for their ability to shape reality in order to improve it and to explore new and unknown avenues in such a way as to chart safe paths for their posterity.
Consalvo Ceci in 1916
medal for military valour
during the First Great War.
GIANCARLO CECI
Eight generations later, Giancarlo Ceci after graduating in Agriculture from the University of Bologna, took over several hectares of the estate’s land in 1988 and immediately converted all production to organic farming methods, becoming a forerunner and precursor in southern Italy.
Making use of all the properties handed down to him, he dedicated his farm not only to cultivation but also to the processing and marketing of agricultural products, using sustainable methods that respect the earth and the environment.
In 2011, he obtained Demeter certification, attesting to the company’s dedication and respect for the principles of biodynamic agriculture.
In 2020 a further milestone is achieved with Carbon Footprint certification, testifying to the company’s green footprint.
Giancarlo, together with his children Clara and Felice, who have taken an interest in the family business, aims to continue along this path, respecting Nature and representing those values and traditions that have distinguished his family for centuries.