Museum of Casa Martini
The Museum of Casa Martini is the heritage and visitor centre of the Martini & Rossi vermouth company, housed within the historic Pessione estate near Chieri, southeast of Turin, where the brand was born in 1863. The museum documents over two millennia of wine and vermouth culture through a collection of ancient winemaking artefacts, period advertising, historic bottles, and period interiors, offering visitors an immersive journey from ancient Rome to the glamour of mid-century cocktail culture.
At a glance
- Type
- Brand heritage and wine culture museum
- Period
- Estate established 19th century; museum collection spans antiquity to present
- Style
- Historic estate with period interiors
- Location
- Pessione di Chieri, Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, Italy
Overview
The Casa Martini estate at Pessione has been the production heart of the Martini & Rossi brand since the company's founding in 1863. Alessandro Martini, Luigi Rossi, and Teofilo Sola established their vermouth enterprise here, transforming an existing winery into one of the most influential flavoured-wine producers in Europe. The museum opened to visitors to share the story of vermouth's evolution from an ancient aromatic wine tradition to a global aperitivo icon.
History
The company began as the Distilleria Nazionale di Spirito di Vino in 1863, initially named Martini, Sola & Cia before becoming Martini & Rossi in 1879 when the Sola family sold their stake. Martini Rosso launched in 1863, Extra Dry followed on New Year's Day 1900, and Bianco appeared in 1910. The brand's sons and grandsons expanded it internationally through the early twentieth century; in 1993 the company merged with Bacardi and is today operated as a Bacardi subsidiary. Throughout these changes the Pessione estate has remained the symbolic home and production site of the brand.
What you see
The museum displays an archaeological collection of winemaking tools and amphorae spanning over two thousand years, tracing the long history of flavoured and fortified wines before the modern vermouth era. Period tasting rooms, original recipe books, and archival advertising materials from the Belle Epoque through the mid-twentieth century illustrate the brand's visual and commercial evolution. Restored production equipment and historic bottling lines demonstrate how vermouth was made at the estate in its industrial prime.
Cultural significance
Casa Martini occupies a unique position at the intersection of Piedmontese wine heritage and global aperitivo culture. Vermouth as a category was effectively codified in Turin in the eighteenth century, and Martini & Rossi was instrumental in industrialising and internationalising that tradition. The museum is one of very few places where visitors can engage with the full arc of vermouth history, from ancient botanical wine practices to contemporary cocktail culture.
Practical information
- Address
- Via Luigi Rossi 1, 10023 Pessione di Chieri TO, Italy
- Hours
- Check official website for current opening times and guided tour schedules
- Admission
- Check official website; guided tours typically bookable in advance
- Coordinates
- 44.9655° N, 7.8412° E
Getting there
Pessione is approximately 20 km southeast of Turin city centre. By car, take the A21 motorway towards Chieri; by public transport, take a bus from Torino Vittorio Emanuele towards Chieri and alight at Pessione. The estate is best reached with private transport.