There are places which belong to a territory not just because they are located there, but because they look like they were made right there. Monteleone21, the new home of the winery Masi Agricola in Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, is one of those places.
It's also the location we chose to celebrate a particularly important moment in our history: Marmi Rossi's 60th company anniversary.
This choice has allowed us to rediscover in a different context outside our company something we already knew very well: the ability of natural stone to tell the story of a territory.
A building structure that comes out of the Valpolicella Valley
Monteleone21 was designed to create the most direct connection possible with the surrounding landscape. That's why the building is two-thirds underground: most of its volume extends below ground level, while the roof, covered with vegetation and grapevines, perfectly continues the profile of the Valpolicella hills.
Instead of blending into the landscape, the structure seems to grow out of the soil.
This concept can be seen throughout the architecture of the building complex. The building's design incorporates some of the elements that have shaped this area for centuries: the rows of vines, the terraced cultivation of the grapevines, and especially the dry-stone walls, the traditional stone walls that support the hilly vineyards and protect them from erosion.
Nembro: a natural stone, that is connected to the place
When it comes to choosing the material for the facades, it becomes even clearer: pink Nembro was used, a local natural stone in pink, yellow, and ochre, which is part of Verona's stone industry tradition.
The natural stone Nembro not only contributes to the building's appearance but also to its connection to the place. The volumetric composition and stone cladding explicitly recall the dry-stone walls of the Valpolicella valley and create a visual continuity between contemporary architecture and the surrounding agricultural landscape.
With different light and external conditions, the natural stone changes its visual perception: its natural tones interact with the soil, the green vineyards, and the colours of the hilly landscape, meaning there’s no clear separation between what has been built and what had already been there.
Material as identity
This is perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of the project.
At Monteleone21, the stone wasn't just chosen to cover a building. It has a deeper meaning: it also explains where this building comes from.
People talk about 'materials as a value system': concrete, steel, wood, and stone are used according to their specific properties and in relation to the function they are supposed to serve. Natural stone here, thanks to its durability and its ability to create continuity in the expression of the territory, is entrusted with the direct connection to the outside.
A few more details turn this idea into an experience. The entrance, for example, is marked by a stone door with no visible handle: when it opens, it leads the visitor into the massive grape-drying room, which is 12 meters high and 30 meters deep. It's an almost staged transition, where the material becomes a real threshold between the outside landscape and the productive heart of the winery.
A special choice for the 60th company anniversary of Marmi Rossi
Since 1966, we at Marmi Rossi have been working every day with material that comes from deep within the earth and already carries the identity of its original location before it's even processed.
For this reason, we decided to celebrate the dinner for our 60th company anniversary at Monteleone21. Not just a random place near Verona, but a place where natural stone takes on meaning, which is especially close to our hearts: natural stone as memory, continuity, and material you can use to create something new.
A setting that seemed especially suitable for us to celebrate 60 years of company history while also looking ahead to the coming years.
