Overview

This pamphlet by Achille Montagna stands as both a tribute and a commentary on the pioneering work of Orazio Comes who explored the mysterious “black disease” afflicting the vine in the 19th century. Montagna gathers, quotes, and expands upon Comes’s reflections, weaving them with his own field observations and practical advice for Italian vintners at a time when vine health was a matter of national concern. What makes this work compelling today is its timeless focus on understanding the physiology of the vine and the balance between nature, soil, and climate, an approach that resonates deeply with modern viticulture. The "mal nero or gommosa della vite" that Comes and Montagna sought to prevent bears striking resemblance to what we now know as "mal dell’esca", one of the most persistent and destructive trunk diseases in contemporary vineyards. Though the preventive methods proposed here, careful pruning, aeration of the soil, protection from temperature extremes, and the use of natural mastics, reflect 19th century techniques, their underlying principles of hygiene, observation, and respect for plant vitality remain relevant. Today, as growers still battle wood maladies, this small work reads not only as a historical artifact but as a reminder that true viticulture is both science and devotion, a conversation across centuries between vine, vintner, and the living earth.