History

1270 - 1477

The first hints of Fontina

The first mention of Fontina dates back to 1270, while in literature, the first mention of this cheese from Valle d'Aosta dates back to 1477, in the Summa Lacticinorum by the Vercellian physician Pantaleone di Confienza, although its history has even older origins, handed down from generation to generation.

The first visual evidence dates back a few years before Pantaleone's text and is found in a fresco in Issogne castle. The painting depicts an artisan shop with Fontina cheese wheels on the counter as they are still produced and sold today.

There are also several theories concerning the origin of its name. According to some historians, the name Fontina seems to refer to a alpine production in Valle d'Aosta called “Fontin”. Other sources, however, link it to the old village of Fontinaz. Some other theories associate it with the ancient French term “.“fondis”which indicates the ability of this cheese to melt when exposed to heat, at temperatures that are not particularly high (melting temperature around 60°C).

1887

The first classification

To arrive instead at a first classification official one must, however, wait for the 1887. Fontina is mentioned with its characteristics in the yearbook of the Experimental Dairy Station of Lodi in the chapter “Le Fontine di Val d'Aosta”.

1930 - 1940

The second classification

The second classification takes place in the 1930s and 1940s by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, through the Alpine Experimental Station in Salice d'Ulzio and the Zootechnical Dairy Institute in Turin.

1952

The Consortium

In 1952, the Fontina Producers' Consortium.

1955

The Designation of Origin

In the Presidential Decree of 1955 is recognised the Designation of Origin.

1957

The Fontina Designation of Origin

Giulio Angelo Negri, in “The Valle d'Aosta cheesemaker”offers a first organic arrangement of the research carried out so far.

The Ministerial Decree of 26 June 1957 entrusts the Fontina Producers‘ Consortium with the task of supervising the production and marketing of the cheese for which the Fontina Designation of Origin is allowed. The Consortium is granted the right to affix markings or identification marks to the product. In the first year 75 thousand wheels were branded; a decade later the quantity doubled, reaching 300 thousand wheels at the end of the 1980s. And production continues to grow to the present day.

1996

The PDO mark

Exactly forty-one years after obtaining the Designation of Origin, in 1996 the European Commission grants Fontina the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

2002 - today

Protection, promotion and valorisation

The Consortium of Producers for the Protection of Fontina DOP is recognised by Decree of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies of 26/04/2002 and acquires specific tasks and duties. In particular, the Decree recalls the duties set forth in Article 14, paragraph 15, of Law No. 526 of 21 December 1999, attributing to the Consortium the functions of protection, promotion, valorisation, consumer information, and general care of the interests related to the denomination.