San Patrignano is one of Italy’s largest rehabilitation centers for recovering drug addicts. It welcomes all young men and women who have serious drug abuse problems, regardless of ideology, social background, or religion – and completely free of charge. Since 1978, the center has taken in over 18,000 people, offering them a home, healthcare, legal assistance, and the opportunity to study, learn a job, change their lives, and regain their status as full members of society.
While San Patrignano may represent one of the most unusual ventures in the Italian wine world, winemaking was among the organization’s earliest initiatives and has become this rehabilitative community’s best-known and most successful endeavor. The wines of San Patrignano, distributed around the world, have earned many accolades from leading critics.
Though the chief focus of winemaking at San Patrignano is to provide residents with new skills, it is also regarded as a means of “reawakening light in a dark soul through passion and caring.” As such, winemaking at the center embraces an unfailing dedication to quality, from the community’s immaculately maintained vineyards to each step in the vinification and packaging processes. San Patrignano wines are created from vineyard to bottle to label design by members of this special community and have led many to discover a newfound passion for life.
A visit to the center is not complete without trying San Patrignano’s new restaurant, Vite, appropriately referring to the Italian words for both grapevine and life. The community’s world-class equestrian center – home to over 80 horses, a breeding program, a fully-functioning equestrian sports facility and the San Patrignano professional Jumping Team – is also worth exploring. Finally, be sure to stop by the community’s extensive gift shop, where you can purchase a variety of products made by the center’s residents, including home décor, furniture, leather goods, cheeses and olive oil.
San Patrignano is located just 15 kilometers from Rimini, perhaps the most famous seaside resort on the Adriatic Riviera. For more information about the community, as well as a full list of it’s services and products, dog boarding and breeding facilities and custom-made bikes,
visit www.SanPatrignano.org |
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General Information at a Glance
- No appointment required
- Fees apply: two glass tasting € 5; three glass tasting € 7
- Guided tours available
- Group tours available by
appointment
- Appointment required for English-speaking tour guide
- Parking available
- Buses accommodated
Nearest
cities
Rimini – 15 km
Bologna – 100 km
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