Lake Garda in Italy was at one time home to the most northerly commercial citrus growing in the world. The remains of the Lemon Houses on the shores of Lake Garda are stll clearly visible and recently several have been restored.
There is an interesting booklet about the history of lemon growing in the region. See

http://www.visitlimonesulgarda.com/pdf/Tra%20le%20limonaie%20di%20limone%20sul%20Garda.pdf

Mike/Citrange

Thanks this is very interesting. Just shows how great citrus are that they went to such lengths.

I used to live in Verona and often took trips to the lakes to visit friends and would sit on many balconies and verandas in the later morning, drowning in the heady scents of my friends' small citrus groves.

Unfortunately, I am unable to download the booklet, but it has brought back happy memories and that old yearning in my heart for the beauty of the Italian Lakes.

Thanks Mike.

Why can't you download it? You do need to be registered and logged on this forum to see the link. That's a simple process.
Alternatively, I could e-mail you the web address.
I just tried downloading the booklet and it works perfectly for me.
Mike

It worked the third time, after I re-booted. I am going through the booklet now and can see up to page 19 so far. It is still downloading after one hour 15 minutes probably because my computer is too slow.

What I have read so far is so exciting a piece of history. My sister married an Italian and has lived in Grotta Ferrata, near Frascati (at the other end of the country from the Lakes) for 15 years.

Her husband's family are from Naples and when I visited there about 10 years ago, the family had about 10 citrus trees some of which were growing lemons as big as my head. These lemons when cut open were almost all pith and very little flesh and juice. I wonder what type of citrus these were. The family used only the peel of these fruit in making a limoncello type liqueur.

Mike, now that you've sparked my interest I think I am going back to Italy next year.... a round tour of the country...on a citrus hunt!

Simi - it would have to be a very old computer to be that slow! More likely a problem with your internet connection - assuming you're on broadband not still using dial-up.
Anyway, yes those fruits were citrons - cedro di Napoli.
I can recommend doing a citrus tour of Italy. Have you seen all my website pages about Italian citrus places? See index at
http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/ !
Mike/Citrange

Oh my goodness Mike, I am in awe of your website and your superior knowledge and experience. You are a citrus god.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Citrus nut ???

ROFL !!!


I´d plant that NUT ..

For those whose first language may not be English, here is one online dictionary's definition of this use of "nut"
- abbreviated form of nut case:
Noun nut case - a whimsically eccentric person
crackpot, fruitcake, screwball, crank, eccentric, eccentric person, oddball, flake, geek

As far as I know, it refers to the similarity of the brain and the one side opened walnut.

In the sense of an empty nut ...

Are you nuts?

NO !

I am CITRUS !!!