Casato Bertoia’s origins
Bertoia, better known as Bartolomeo di Pinzano, was born in Spilimbergo (Pordenone) in 1349. He was the son of Simone di Pinzano, heir of what was once one of the most important families of Friuli and among the oldest in the Patria del Friuli, and Lords of the Castle of Pinzano, a strategic fortress guarding an important Tagliamento river ford.
The family had arrived in Italy from across the Alps before 1146, however, family feuds and the struggles between the Emperor and the Pope led to the decline of the ancient dynasty in the following centuries. The lords of Pinzano were openly imperialist and were ultimately defeated by the powerful Savorgnan family of Udine, which was loyal to Patriarch Bertrand of Saint-Geniès.
Even though Bartolomeo “Bertoia” of Pinzano was not particularly wealthy he was still of noble blood and in 1378 he married the daughter of count Giovanni of Valvasone, his protector. He received as a dowry various estates in the lands of San Lorenzo, in which he settled. He also had numerous children who allowed him to revive the fortunes of his dynasty. Bartolomeo died in early 1400 and was succeeded by his son Domenico Bertoia, who in 1432 received the feudal investiture from the abbot of the abbey of Sesto. Domenico died in 1462 at the age of 81, leaving as inheritance new properties, lands, and the surname that was the diminutive of his father: Bertoia. It became a “consortium” family, comprised of several dynasties but considered a single household represented by a head who is elected by all adult male members. From century to century, from generation to generation, here in San Lorenzo the Bertoia family is still the uninterrupted heir to this long history
The Coat of Arms
After the Bertoia family lost their original fiefs, they were unable to use the ancient coat of arms “of Pinzano”. However, as members of the Libro D’Oro (The Golden Book of Italian Nobility), they were granted a new coat of arms from the Venetian Republic. The new insignia consisted of “a mountain with three golden peaks coming out from the tip topped by the letter B juxtaposed by three golden stars with six rays”. The mount symbolized the mountain origin and the three castles of Pinzano, Ragogna, and Castel Raimondo; the B is the initial of the family name; the stars and the three branches depicted the composition of the family at the time
The 5 generations
Today, the Bertoia family, her to centuries of tradition, continues to build its history in the countryside of San Lorenzo di Valvasone – Arzene (Pordenone). The family has been committed for five generations to the cultivation of the same land that belonged to their ancestor Bartolomeo.
It is said that in the early 1800s the family managed various crops used for the sustenance of Napoleon’s troops. In the early 1900s, the property consisted of a single hectare that was cultivated for the sustenance of the family itself. However, this changed in the 1960s and 70s, when the marketing of their agricultural products started thus converting a family tradition into an agricultural enterprise.
Then between the 1980s and 90s, the Bertoia family specialized more and more in horticulture and viticulture. Moreover, with the beginning of the new millennium, a new era begins for Casato Bertoia. Today it is Cesare, with the help of his mother Anna Maria, his wife Ada, and his daughters Giorgia and Arianna, who specializes in the organic production of fruit and vegetables in an open field, in harmony with nature and with attention to quality and excellence.
