Pdaughter of five daughters of a noble Venetian family, she studied at the Interpreters School in Trieste and in Brussels, where she moved, she had a career in that sector for twenty years. In Belgium she met her husband, Prince Guillaume de Croÿ. In 2007 she returned to Italy to take care of the historian Conte Collalto Agricultural Company of Susegana (Treviso) left by her father. In that role you are involved in various capacities in the activities of Confagricoltura, Confindustria and the Consortium of Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Docg. He is currently in his second term as president of the Association for Venetian Villas.
Isabella Collalto de Croÿ. (Photo Michele Mattiello)
6 am
«First I take a look out the window, towards the tower, the thousand-year-old emblem of the castle where I live, that of Susegana. I then start the morning routine: lemon juice with hot water, coffee, reading messages and “reviewing” the day’s agenda.”
9 am
«The first appointment is with the caretaker of the castle, who keeps me informed about the work and problems of the building, which is a place for events and a relais de charme. Then I lock myself in the office where I take care of the wine business: it was founded in 1300, and is among the five oldest in the world, while the Collalto dynasty appears in official documents since 958. The morning is generally dedicated to my closest collaborators like the agronomist, the oenologist or the commercial director with whom I discuss the various initiatives”.
11 o’clock
“Coffee break. I also take this opportunity to hear from my granddaughter Athena, four months old, daughter of my firstborn Emmanuel. Then I move to the cellar: we are a company certified for good sustainable practices both in production and in maturation and conservation. The electricity used in the rooms where the wines rest comes entirely from renewable sources. We have just completed the installation of photovoltaic panels to have 50 percent autonomy and have chosen wood chip heating which uses the cuttings of the forest and our vineyard.”
1pm
«I almost never dine alone, I often have importers of my wines, scholars, writers or photographers visiting, to whom I never fail to offer a good glass. The highest quality bottles are dedicated to the people who made and make the history of the winery: the Prosecco Docg Isabella, Violette, a rosé sparkling wine from Incrocio Manzoni which bears the name of my daughter and the Vinciguerra, a dedicated Colli di Conegliano Rosso Docg to the first count of Collalto who lived in 1471. After the meal I like to accompany guests to visit the castle and the vineyards. Storytelling is always very fascinating.”
2.30 pm, those who are guests for lunch then enjoy the guided tour of the vineyards and castle. In the photo: the Conte Collalto agricultural company in Susegana (Treviso)
4pm
«I have been president of the Association for Venetian Villas since 2019. Five hundred structures are participating, out of the over four thousand present between Veneto and Friuli. Every day I meet the owners who manage even very high profile assets such as, for example, the Rotonda del Palladio. The task of us heirs is not only to preserve them, but to enhance them and open them to the territory with cultural, educational or tourist initiatives”.
7pm
«With the small group on Tuesday or Friday evenings I treat myself to a Nordic Walking outing as soon as I can among our UNESCO heritage hills. Or I go to the theater or a concert in Venice. Or at the cinema: the last film I saw is Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan.”
Among the novels on Isabella Collalto de Croÿ’s bedside table, this one about her family.
11pm
«Family gathering: I phone my husband in Brussels and my daughter Violette who is in New Zealand. She closes her eyes with a book.”
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