Lazise Lemon House Preservation Revives Garda Lemon Heritage
Currently, no one cultivates lemons on the lake. Only a few private individuals grow a few plants for personal and family use, sheltering them in winter in a cellar or in a makeshift greenhouse assembled for the occasion, to protect the delicate yellow citrus trees from the harshness of winter.
However, there was a time when lemons, especially on the Brescia side, were produced—so-called “model lemons.” Not coincidentally, the typical cultivation occurred precisely in Limone. It began in the 18th century and quickly developed into a true industry.
Unique and characteristic, the extensive lemon groves, in full sun, were neatly situated between narrow available spaces and the rocks of the mountains surrounding Lake Garda. On the Veronese side, only some “ruins” of the lemon groves remain, mainly in the San Vigilio area and at the Castel di Torri. Very few remain in the lower lake area, if any at all.
The Lazise Lemon House and Restoration Works
The only remaining “alive” lemon house in Lazise is located near the lakefront, in the harbor area, inside the small courtyard where the ancient Scaliger tower still stands, which formed the head of the Scaliger walls facing north of the town. It is an extension of the surrounding wall that leads up to porta Cansignorio, from lungolago Marconi.
Today, a lemon house still exists there, undoubtedly the only current testimony of the typical lemon houses of Lake Garda. It is specifically in these days that restoration and recovery work on this ancient structure have begun, which is now owned by the Fratta family.
Leading the reconstruction project is engineer Enrico Lorenzini, a Gardesano “de soca,” working closely and in harmony with the Soprintendenza ai beni ambientali di Verona. The company undertaking the restoration work is Impresa Francesco Lavelli of Arilicense, the same firm that has been active for years working on the parish church of San Martino and the adjacent parish theater.
The History of Gardesano Economy and Citriculture
The history of the Gardesano economy and citrus cultivation, once prosperous and exported throughout Europe—from Tyrol to Poland, Russia, Austria, and Germany—is well explained by Domenico Fava in his volume “I limoni a Limone sul Garda,” published by the Cassa Rurale ed Artigiana di Vesio Tremosine.
Why did the citrus industry of Lake Garda, once thriving, fall into oblivion? “The crisis began in the second half of the last century,” explains Fava, “due to Gummosis, a disease that caused massive damage to the plants.”
The final blow came with the outbreak of the First World War: much of the wooden material used to cover the lemon groves was requisitioned for military barricades and trenches, and as a result, the plants, no longer protected from the winter’s rigors, perished. With the advent of tourism, even the last citrus growers preferred to switch to hotels and restaurants.”
The Origin and Current State of Lemons on Garda
The lemon appeared on Lake Garda around the 13th century, thanks to certain Franciscans from Gargnano. Today, at the dawn of the third millennium, the Garda lemons are no longer a topic of conversation.
The ancient lemon groves, now reduced to mere skeletons, are difficult to restore, but they remain authentic witnesses of the history of the Benaco region. Wells of history and civilization that are fading, but fortunately, in Lazise, they still remain firmly in the hearts of some enthusiasts of the “model lemon” and its lemon groves.