La Morra historical timeline

History

La Morra's recorded history is a wine history, and its two most interesting episodes are a law and a painting.

before the modern appellation — it was illegal in La Morra to cut down a Nebbiolo vine, and the penalties were severe. The commune protected its grape by statute long before any regional authority did.
1914 — farm workers build a small chapel at Brunate as a temporary shelter from storms while working the surrounding vineyards. It is called the cappella di Santissima Madonna delle Grazie and is never consecrated.
1966 — Barolo becomes a DOC. Part of La Morra lies inside the zone.
1970 — the Ceretto family buys the chapel together with the land around it.
1980 — Barolo is raised to DOCG: 100% Nebbiolo, at least 36 months of ageing with at least 18 in wood, five years for a Riserva.
mid-1990s — the appellation is producing some 7 million bottles a year.
1999 — the chapel is restored by Sol LeWitt, who takes the exterior, and David Tremlett, who repaints the whole interior. The result — curved and geometric lines in several colour schemes — becomes the Cappella del Barolo and one of the most recognisable images of the region.
2004 — the commune has 2,668 residents, and about 1,734 hectares are under vine across the Barolo zone.
mid-2000s — appellation production reaches 10.25 million bottles.
22 June 2014 — UNESCO inscribes the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. The Langa of Barolo, which is the view from La Morra's terrace, is one of three Langhe components.

Verified against Wikipedia, October 2026.

Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Wikipedia — It was historically illegal in La Morra to cut down a Nebbiolo vine, with severe penalties., The chapel at Brunate was built in 1914 by farm workers as a temporary shelter from storms while working the surrounding vineyards, was originally called the cappella di Santissima Madonna delle Grazie, and was never consecrated., The Ceretto family bought the chapel together with the surrounding land in 1970., The chapel was restored in 1999 by Sol LeWitt, who took the exterior, and David Tremlett, who repainted the whole interior, in curved and geometric patterns across several colour schemes., Barolo became a DOC in 1966 and was raised to DOCG in 1980., Barolo must be 100% Nebbiolo and aged at least 36 months after the harvest before release, of which at least 18 months in wood; five years makes it a Riserva., About 1,734 hectares were under vine in the Barolo zone as of 2004, with production rising from 7 million bottles in the mid-1990s to 10.25 million in the mid-2000s., The Langhe were inscribed by UNESCO on 22 June 2014 within the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, as three components -- the Langa of Barolo, Grinzane Cavour Castle, and the Hills of Barbaresco., La Morra had a population of 2,668 across 24.3 square kilometres, at an elevation of 513 metres. (October 2026).