GINORI LISCI
A family linked to Querceto
OUR HISTORY
Pulchrius lumine trino?
In the 1930’s Lorenzo Ginori carried out extensive land reclaim on the Querceto estate and restructured the Lisci “villa” whose origins can be traced back to 1577. He transformed the villa into a Castle in Neo-Medieval taste. After World War II his son Leonardo, an important scholar of Renaissance Architecture and of the Manifattura di Doccia, continued his father’s work with the agronomic modernization of the estate. This approach to continual improvement is followed to this day by his son Lionardo Lorenzo together with his nephew Luigi Malenchini. The aim is to diversify the entrepreneurial activities of the family: promoting incoming tourism for Querceto, planting special vineyards for the production of organic wines and creating a modern biogas system for the generation of renewable energy.
CARLO ANDREA GINORI
Porcelain factory of Doccia
In the 18th century lived Carlo Andrea Ginori who was probably the most important member of the Ginori family, rich in talents and with a particular aptitude for business. He founded, in 1737, the historic porcelain factory of Doccia and he dedicated himself to the running of the estate near Cecina, which he had bought from the royal house of Lorena. He became Governor of Livorno and it is thanks to him that the Maremma marshes were drained, the area made habitable and the land used for agricultural purposes.
In 1786 Francesca Lisci married Marchese Lorenzo Ginori, and, being the last member of her family, she left to their son Carlo Leopoldo all her property, which included also Querceto, with the obligation to add the surname of Lisci to the one of Ginori.
THE ORIGINS
Omne trinum perfectum
Originally from Calenzano, the Ginori family moved to Florence at the end of the 13th century choosing the S. Lorenzo quarter. From the 14th century onwards the Ginori family took part in the Republican Government, providing five Gonfaloniers of Justice and twenty-six Priors.
In the 15th century the Ginori owned various houses in the area that is now called Via de’ Ginori; the Palazzo was built, on design of the famous architect Baccio D’Agnolo, between 1516 and 1520 by Carlo called “Il Vecchio”.
The Ginori were active on the political scene but principally they were great merchants since the times of Carlo “Il Vecchio” who was in fact not only a banker and Gonfalonier of Justice but also one of the richest merchants of Italy. To boost their principal activity as merchants the Ginori travelled widely in Europe, in South America and in the East.
As wool merchants in 1524 they trades-marked their wares with a mark which is now used for the wine produced today.
During the 19th century the Ginori Lisci family distinguished itself by becoming one of the most representative of the new Italian industry, also thanks to the hard work and resourcefulness of Lorenzo, son of Carlo Leopoldo; the Doccia factory became a large industry with 500 workers so as to be fully competitive.
In the 20th century Lorenzo Ginori, grandfather of the present owners, dedicated himself to the agriculture greatly improving the conditions of his estates of Querceto and Doccia. After the Second World War he retired leaving his son Leonardo, who also was interested in agriculture and was therefore nominated as an “Accademico dei Georgofili”. He distinguished himself also as an art historian writing important books on the history of Doccia porcelain and of the many “Palazzi” in Florence.
Since his father died in 1987 Lionardo Lorenzo Ginori has been managing the family assets and most especially the estate “Tenuta di Querceto”, assisted by his wife Alessandra and his nephew Luigi Malenchini and his niece Cristina Sannazzaro.
At the end of the nineties Lionardo Lorenzo and his nephew Luigi decided to undertake a new entrepreneurial adventure and started planting special vineyards for the production of top quality organic wines.
During that same period the old warehouses previously used for carpentry and cereal storage were reconverted for the making of wine. Old dwellings in the village were transformed into modern apartments suitable for bespoke tourism. Recently, in order to implement an eco-sustainable corporate project, an important biogas plant was set up for the production of ‘clean’ electric energy.
