According to a historical legend, the name of this area is said to be attributed to Charlemagne, who, when descending into these territories to fight the Lombards, was so fascinated by the landscapes that reminded him of his homeland that he nicknamed them “little France”. However, the name Franciacorta actually derives from “Franzacurta”, which in turn comes from the Latin “francae curtae”, meaning “courts”, in the sense of monastic courts, “franche”, meaning exempt from episcopal taxes. It was in these properties belonging to the clergy that viticulture developed in the 15th century, and from documented historical sources, we know that by the 16th century, the methods of bottle fermentation for the production of sparkling wines were already known.