Modern Age

Poets, artists and famous men praised the Orvieto wine. One of them was Pinturicchio, . He was called to work in Orvieto and required "as much wine as he could drink".
The "Maestri" working in the cave of Monte Piso to extract and rough-hew the travertine stones to be used in the construction of the Dome of Orvieto periodically bought wine in the years between 1347 and 1349. The "rumours" that the workers spread in Orvieto and in other towns to have wine free are still remembered. Working hours included breaks in the morning and in the afternoon to drink "mistu", maybe water and wine. The Opera del Duomodistributed it in special occasions, such as the end of important works or on request of the chief master as employment contracts of the time show.
For instance, in the employment contract that Luca Signorelli, stipulated in 1500 for the carrying out of frescoes he asks the Opera to give the painter 12 "some" of wine (about 1000 litres) each year.