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History - At beginning, it was snow
To know the history of Park Hotel San Michele we need to go back in time for many years ago, till 1800: in the end of this century we find the first traces about a family that started working on the profitable business of snow trading just here, on the "Sant'Antonio vineyards". It's on these fields that rises the actual building.
In those times, towns with a temperate weather like Martina Franca, the snow trading business was very prosper: its employment was habit for both feeding and medical use. So, every snowfall was considered a blessing from God.

Snow was useful to prepare ice creams and drinks, to preserve food, as a portable water reserve in drought period, but also to cure fever, abscesses, bruises, etc.
So, during the winter, snow was collected in special hypogean places called "neviere" (from the italian word "neve" - snow), which traces can be still seen on all Martina Franca territory. As summer arrives, this precious product was put in sale, usually heading to coastal cities.

Within the advent of industrial era the snow trading was gradually disappearing, forcing the owners to transform their industry to a winery... [continues]