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!

Room N. 2 represents the traditional olive harvest. "A San Martì, s'éndrisa en pè le scalì" This proverb in the dialect of Limone means: “On St. Martin’s Day the ladders are straightened”. It describes the beginning of the traditional olive harvest, which often coincides with St. Martin’s Day, on the 11th of November. During the harvest, the typical wooden ladders, called “scalì”, were securely stuck in the soil near the olive tree, placed on the tree itself, and tied with a rope. The olives used to be harvested manually and the fruits were collected in a traditional container made from goat or donkey skin, the “grumiàl”. The olives that fell on the floor were rapidly picked up by women and kids. Nowadays specific tools are used in order to accelerate the process, such as special pliers and nets to collect the olives that fall. Afterward, the olives are transported to the oil mill, where they are pressed with traditional millstones to produce the precious extra virgin olive oil. Did you know about this tradition in Limone? Let us know in the comments!

Our newly renovated rooms have been designed following different themes that emphasize the territory of Limone sul Garda and its most important traditions. Each of them is represented by a sentence written on the wall. In this first blog post, we would like to present you Room N.1. The FISHING TRADITION is the topic. It is a very important component of Limone sul Garda's culture. The sentence of this room is:"A San Simù sbrega vele e rot timù" This proverb in the local dialect means: "On St. Simon’s Day, the sails tear and the rudders break”. The 26th of May is known as St. Simons’s Day, and it is well known to fishermen of Lake Garda because the wind blows particularly strongly on this day. The wind is usually so strong that it can actually damage boats and fishing equipment. The fishing tradition is deeply rooted in the history of Limone sul Garda, as it has always been one of the main sources of income for the population, before the construction of the Gardesana Road and the start of the tourism industry. Fishermen used to know every trade secret, from the winds, and the depths of the lakebed to the currents and the direction they had to point the boats when fishing. They were using special fishing nets called “spigònse” (like the one that hangs in this room) to fish different kinds of fish, such as whitefish, carpione, pikes, alborella, perches, and chubs. Stay tuned for the presentation of Room N. 2 and don't hesitate to comment down below to let us know how you like the first room!