Fascinated by an old, almost mystical region like Umbria and by a wine of extraordinary power and longevity like the Sagrantino, the Lunelli family acquired the Tenuta Castelbuono and its 30 hectares planted with vines in the municipalities of Bevagna and Montefalco in 2001. The commitment initially focused on the vineyards, which have now been converted to organic farming, with new plantings and further development of the existing ones through a comprehensive clonal selection project. In 2003, the Montefalco Sagrantino saw the light of day, followed a year later by the Montefalco Rosso.

There was still a need for a new winery complex, and due to their long and close friendship with Arnaldo Pomodoro, one of the most important contemporary artists, the family asked him to design it. The master enthusiastically agreed, and already after the first site visit, he had the project in mind.

The “Carapace” – as Pomodoro wanted to call the winery – required about six years of work and was inaugurated in June 2012 and opened to the public for visits and tastings. It is a unique work that challenges the boundaries between architecture and sculpture. It is the world's first sculpture in which people live and work, a unique work in which art and nature, sculpture and wine are in dialogue, emphasizing the uniqueness of both the container and the content. At first glance, it appears as a large copper-clad dome, crossed by cracks that recall the furrows of the surrounding land. A red arrow-shaped sculpture piercing the ground further emphasizes the artwork in the landscape. Entering the “Carapace” means engaging with a sculpture by Pomodoro, as its artistic alphabet inside immediately announces. A winery by an artist for wines by artists.