April 13, 2021: Centenary of the birth of the Grand Master and Founder of the Order Luciano Degiacomi

On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Luciano Degiacomi the words of the Grand Master Bianca Vetrino

had our Founder Grand Master, Luciano Degiacomi, been with us today he would have been turning one hundred.

We remember him by reiterating our deep sorrow for his premature passing and the general sadness felt by the community in Alba and the Langhe. Knowing that Luciano’s cultural and ethical legacy should not be squandered in his wake, the Order was spurred on by the great enthusiasm to remain true to our Articles of Association and the hills of the Langa.

Having always been passionate about the homeland for which he had foreseen its intrinsic potential, Degiacomi said: “we must work to honour this land which is yet to be fully discovered”. For decades he worked voluntarily and scrupulously, first together with Famija Albeisa and then with Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour, for the restoration of Grinzane Cavour Castle, which would become home to many Associations, the Museum of the Langhe, exhibition and tasting facilities and the restaurant.

In 1967 the Knights of the Truffle and Wines of Alba began their activity promoting the local area, and at the same time the Regional Enoteca was inaugurated. An intense collaboration was established between the two organizations thanks to the virtuous understanding between Degiacomi and the then young Mayor of Alba, Ettore Paganelli, which made it possible to overcome all the bureaucratic obstacles and the lack of funding.

In a development of promotional initiatives which was to see the Castle become a destination for tourists from all over the world, Degiacomi confirmed his commitment to spreading awareness of our wines. As was the case in 1961, when along with many associates he was the architect of the “Piatto d’Oro” competition highlighting the excellence of our cuisine, and again in 1974, when he inspired the creation of the Selection of Great Wines of Alba which was destined to grow over the years not only in the number of wineries taking part, but also in the quality of the “Wine” itself: every year bottles labelled with the Order’s coat of arms reach restaurants overseas. Following in the footsteps of the pioneers who endeavoured with courage and foresight to export their wines back in the 1800s, for many years now the producers in the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato have been raising awareness of the prestige of our wines throughout the world.

From the founding of the Order in 1967 to 1991 Degiacomi led no fewer than 150 Chapters, appointing hundreds of new Knights, and in this year of his Centenary the Order will be celebrating its 300^th Chapter which we will be dedicating to his memory with our deepest gratitude for the good he bestowed on the Langa and on every Knight who learnt from Luciano Degiacomi that passion, collaboration and solidarity are the fundamental ingredients in achieving brilliant, distinguished results.

The city of Alba pays homage to the patriarchs of tourism publishing the video “Luciano Degiacomi, un concreto visionario”

The video is made in collaboration with the Radici Foundation and uses the memories and words of Giancarlo Montaldo, Bianca Vetrino, Ettore Paganelli, Giacomo Oddero, Tino Colla. The interviews are by Marcello Pasquero, photography by Bruno Murialdo and shooting and editing by Daniele Ferrero.