ROME-- You would not really expect to find a monument to Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, at the entrance to an establishment called "Casa Divina Provvidenza". But this is not the only unusual feature you'll find in this exclusive little wine farm tucked away in the maze of country roads and fields lacing the internal Lazio coastline immediately south of Rome.

The statue to Neptune is a tribute to the ancient history of the territory appertaining to the port of Nettuno, where the vineyards of the Casa Divina Provvidenza are situated and the name refers to the fact that this was originally Church-owned land tended by friars who produced wine for the Vatican.

The farm now belongs to the Cosmi family, local wine producers for three generations. When we visited, sisters Adelaide and Piera, who have now taken over the management of the estate from their parents, Fernando and Agnese, were preparing to leave for Vinitaly, Italy's most important annual wine fair at Verona, to collect a prize in the category "Best International Reserve White Wine" for their "Neroniano DOP", produced exclusively from autochtonous Cacchione grapes.

The Cosmi family, who own another two vineyards at nearby Campoleone, have concentrated on developing wines from traditional native vines. The Cacchione (also known as Bellone) thrives on the sandy, mineral-rich soil near the coast in the Aprilia, Anzio and Nettuno area, yielding a particularly strong white wine.

The estate also cultivates the Malvasia Puntinata grape, which is the basis of the Roman Castelli wines and which was introduced into Lazio in remote times from the Greek Island of Iraklion, as well as the more universal Trebbiano and, for their reds, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The story of the vineyard, however, is permanently linked to the legendary figure of Rome's most famous dentist. Brother Giovanni Battista Orsenigo from Coma, a member of the Order of S. Giovanni di Dio, had his surgery attached to the Fatebenefratelli hospital (then known as S. Giovanni Calibiti) on the Tiber Island during the second half of the 19th century.

Bro Orsenigo was so skilled and so physically strong that he could extract teeth using only his fingers. He was also renowned for his gentleness and his ability in reducing the patient's suffering. Naturally, there were queues at the surgery door. Orsenigo treated rich and poor alike and is credited with extracting more than two million seven hundred and forty-four teeth during his career, which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the "most dedicated dentist."

He did not charge for his services, but kept an offerings box at the door for voluntary donations. This money later contributed to the construction of a new hospital for the poor at Nettuno.

The connection of the Fatebenefratelli brothers with Nettuno can be traced back to 1885 when the Order requested permission from the Bishop of Albano to look after the sick in what was then a destitute and malaria-infested area, bordering on the infamous Pontine marshes. Two years later, the Order actually seriously considered transferring the Mother House from the Tiber Island to Nettuno, due to political unrest in Italy that involved the suppression of many teaching and nursing religious orders.

However, conditions improved in 1889 and the transfer did not actually take place. Nonetheless, the commitment had been made and that same year Father Orsenigo arrived and took up his practice. He expanded and rebuilt the old hospital, which the local people always referred to as the Orsenigo Hospital, although it was officially known as the Casa della Divina Provvidenza.

The vineyard of the Casale (farmhouse) della Divina Provvidenza was part of the Vatican property. However, it had long been unproductive when the Cosmi family took it over and began to concentrate on producing quality wines. Although the farm no longer supplies the Church, they decided to keep on the old name, as a tribute to its rather special history.

Vestiges of the past can be seen in the little museum room the family has set up next to the reception hall in the old pompeiian red farmhouse, where glass cabinets contain a selection of priests' vestments, chalices, documents and an old parish birth register, belonging to the chapel that was once part of the building.

Wine tastings and visits are arranged on request. Otherwise, the storeroom and shop are open every day, except on official holidays.

If you feel like a bit of sightseeing in the area, there are two local beauty spots nearby – the Granieri Lake and the Foglino wood. The Bosco Foglino is a protected area of unspoiled Mediterranean woodland, extending over 300 hectares and rich in wildlife, managed by the Agricultural University of Nettuno. The Laghetto Granieri is the most easily accessed, but more commercialized, part of the reserve with picnic tables, barbecues and a small restaurant/café arrayed along one end of a tranquil stretch of water full of all kinds of water birds.

Azienda Agricola Casa Divina Provvidenza, Via dei Frati 53, Nettuno

Tel. 06.9851366

www.casadivinaprovvidenza.com

Opening hours: summer: Mon-Sat. 9-13 and 16-19 Sun: 9-13