Recent molecular studies have shown that this variety has a direct relationship (parent-child type) with Sangiovese and Moscato violetto (Vouillamoz et al., 2001, 2004; Di Vecchi et al., 2007; Cipriani et al., 2010).
Soderini (1590) describes the 'Ciregiuolo dolce' as follows: it is a variety with long and loose bunches, with a bigger and hairier berry than any other sort of grapes, its taste is sweet and fragrant; it is good in hot countries and lands. Breviglieri and Casini (1964) said that it was not easy to prove the correspondence to Ciliegiolo on the base of this description of cultivars such as Salvadori had instead argued. Micheli (1679) described a 'Ciliegiona rossa tonda di Spagna' but that, however, has berries ’beautiful red’ and another ’Ciliegiona tonda di Spagna‘ with different shape of berries, which does not appear to correspond to the variety of grape currently known. In the absence of precise references , its existence in Italy and particularly in Tuscany, has been dated back to around 1870. According to Racah (1932) it would have been brought by pilgrims coming back from St. James of Compostela’s sanctuary. This hypothesis hasn’t found confirmation in Bruni researches (1947) .
The variety was described by Marzotto (1925), De Astis (1937), Dalmasso (1946) and more in detail by Cosmo (1948) in an ampelographic comparative study with other varieties of grapes such as ‘Montepulciano’ ‘Canaiolo’ and ‘Sangiovese’, as it was often indicated as a ‘Sangiovese’.
The most complete description is that by Breviglieri and Casini (1964).