Marquise Giulia di Barolo (1785 – 1864), after marrying Tancredi Falletti di Barolo, emerged as a prominent figure in Turin. Known for hosting cultural salons at her palace, she cultivated relationships with nobility, politicians, and intellectuals. Beyond her social engagements, Giulia’s true passion lay in improving the lives of women and the underprivileged. She dedicated herself to aiding young mothers, orphans, and prostitutes.

A pioneer in social work, Giulia founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Anne. Her legacy includes a school for impoverished girls in Borgo Dora (1821), an institute for teenage mothers (1823), Italy’s first kindergarten for workers’ children at Palazzo Barolo (1825), and a monastery for underage prostitutes (1833).

Tragedy struck in 1835 when Tancredi succumbed to cholera, contracted while the couple cared for patients during an epidemic. Giulia then took over the administration of their estates. She continued her philanthropic efforts by inaugurating a hospital for disabled girls (1845), founding a vocational school for workers’ daughters (1847), and opening a school for weaving and embroidery (1857).

Around 1845, Giulia began focusing on the cultivation and vinification of Barolo wine, a favorite of King Carlo Alberto of Savoy. Her efforts in the vineyards and cellars of Langhe were backed by her noble French winemaking heritage, dating back two centuries to the Reims region, and later in the Loire’s castles of Brézé and Maulévrier.

Between 1850-1855, Giulia, alongside notable figures like Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, King Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy, and oenologists Paolo Francesco di Staglieno and Louis Oudart, played a crucial role in enhancing the quality of Nebbiolo grapes and the Barolo wine. Her dedication led to significant improvements in both cultivation and vinification processes, establishing Barolo wine as a benchmark of excellence in oenology to this day.”

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