LEMONS AND LEMON HOUSES, THE PRIDE OF LAKE GARDA
“DO YOU KNOW THE PLACE WHERE LEMONS BLOOM?”
Between two reflected skies, dark earth and delicate lemon blossoms, the miracle of Lake Garda
13 September 1786. The morning was beautiful, a little cloudy, but, as the sun rose, calm. We passed Limone, with its gardens and terraces on the slopes of the mountain; a spectacle of beauty and grace. The entire garden consists of rows of square white pillars that are placed at a certain distance from each other, up the slope of the mountain, in steps. Strong poles are placed on top of these pillars to cover the trees growing between them in winter. The slow speed with which we crossed the lake favoured the observation and contemplation of this pleasant spectacle‘.
J. Wolfgang Goethe
There is no citrus fruit cultivation in the world further north than that of Lake Garda. It is the unique combination of human ingenuity and the special characteristics of the shores of the Benaco that makes this possible: a miracle with an unmistakable scent.
Roads carved out of the rock, terraces expertly built over the centuries, stone by stone, and all the devotion and love in the world: this has allowed the ‘golden fruits’ of north-western Garda to become a must-visit destination that even today brings tens of thousands of tourists to discover its famous lemon houses, stubbornly clinging to the shores of the lake.
According to agronomists, the perfect latitude for growing lemons is the 40th parallel north. Lake Garda is at 46°, but there is no more fertile, warm, protected and lush environment for these intensely sharp, aromatic gifts of nature. A miracle that has enchanted and inspired artists and writers such as Lawrence or Goethe, but which finds its origin in the distant Middle Ages, thanks to the world’s most beloved saint.
The gift of St Francis to Lake Garda
Skills and dedication passed on from generation to generation
Citrus fruits come from China and India, and thanks to the Arabs they came to Europe as the first fruits of dreams and distant lands. It was by chance then (or perhaps not) that the Poor Man of Assisi came to the lake where he founded the convent of Gargnano and, among its white cloisters; it was his friars who first brought lemons to the mother earth of Lake Garda. Many riverside inhabitants, boatmen, fishermen or farmers, would soon become unrivalled, expert gardeners.
The mild climate and the unique composition of the soil were accompanied by man’s work of necessity: hoes and pickaxes gradually dug out small terraces from the steep banks, and high towers were erected on them: with walls, pillars, posts and wide sails.
With the first winds of November, the crops had to be secured. Once the last warm rays from the south-east had gone, each inhabitant hurried to secure their plants, whose white, slender flowers would bear fruit the following spring. Such was the bond between these plants and man, that on the coldest winter nights he would watch over them, lighting fires and warming them until morning. Once the torches were lit, the lake would be filled with unearthly, dream-like reflections.
In May and June, the gratitude of the supple branches
Every plant would bear fruit: 5-600 lemons. The men’s bodies would then be stretched on small carved wooden tripods and the valuable spheres, carefully placed in an animal skin bag, would be sold ‘at a high price’. Sorted according to size (fine, superfine, rejects, and waste and fallen fruit), the lemons would take the route to Austria, Poland, Russia, Hungary and Germany on wagons and boats.
It was especially with the 17th century that Lake Garda’s lemons became famous and sought after throughout Europe, and within a couple of hundred years their production became a primary source of the Benaco’s wealth. Their flowers were also popular: fragrant aromas were extracted from them; they were used in juices and jams, for candied peels, and as a valuable ingredient in sought-after medicines and essences.
Lemon houses: a unique heritage of ingenious beauty
A fine example of Mediterranean culture that Unesco promotes
The “Malora” and the “Fondo Crocefisso” in Gargnano, the “Prà de la Fam” in Tignale, the “del Castèl” lemon house in Limone: today, these parks and gardens are celebrated among the most important ones in Italy listed by the MiBACT, to be admired and visited through some thirty itineraries and routes to the lemon houses.
The walls, the floors covered with layers of lime and the long hours of navigation that transported the best, most acidic, clay-rich and element-rich soil from the Venetian shores: but among the curiosities you will discover are also the greenhouse structures (still recognisable from their large fir beams supported by pillars), storage huts for the winter covers, water collection tanks, stone stairs and shelves.
You will then encounter the complex water channelling systems that, from nearby springs, flowed along ingenious irrigation systems. But above all, you will appreciate the beauty of the location, a silent temple to a traditional type of work squeezed onto the narrow strip of land that from the shoreline forms part of the panoramic view of the lake. Glimpses of indescribable magnificence.
Wellness recipe from the sun and the earth
An exceptional quality that the skin craves
There are many varieties of lemon that only Lake Garda can offer, such as the ‘Madernina’: it has a thin, fragrant peel and, thanks to the contribution of a particular insect, it could take on a star-shaped form and a flavour with a high degree of acidity as well as an unexpected sweetness. The beneficial properties of lemons have been known since ancient times, such as protecting the skin from dark spots, preventing signs of ageing such as wrinkles and fine lines, but also ensuring elasticity and a natural, fresh, youthful look.
Secretum Gardae not only chose lemon as the key ingredient of PŪRITĀS, an exceptional purifying and perfecting face serum for its intrinsic qualities, but it went further. Our experts assessed each lemon house and carefully evaluated the lemons it produced. Having selected the best, they have signed exclusive supply agreements for the lemons from the ancient land to the finished SG product, without passing through intermediaries. All the history and uniqueness of the superior Lake Garda lemons is now offered to you.
