Room N. 3 represents lemon grooves and the plantation of citrus fruits.
“Do you know the land where the lemon trees bloom…”
This is the way Johann Wolfgang von Goethe starts his poem where he describes the small town of Limone during his “Journey to Italy”.
He started by boat from Torbole and, during his journey to the south of the lake, he was fascinated by the landscape of Limone and its typical lemon grooves full of what he called “gold oranges”.
Lake Garda is indeed famous due to its Mediterranean microclimate, particularly suitable for the growth of citrus fruits, especially lemons. We are actually talking about the northernmost cultivation of lemons in Europe.
The typical landscape of Limone is characterized by lemon grooves.
These constructions are made of walls and pillars and were used to protect the plants from the winter cold. They were built and oriented in a precise way: to the South, in order to ensure the plants’ protection and shelter; and only on the western shore of the lake, so that the trees could receive the morning sunlight, which is essential for the plants’ health itself.
These special conditions can be only found in the towns of Limone and Gargano.
Would you like to visit lemon grooves and discover this amazing tradition? Let us know in the comments!