limone

Lemon, originally from southern China, were planted in Pompeii as ornamental trees in the 1st century AD. They were introduced to the Amalfi coast in the early Middle Ages from the Middle East (either during the Crusades or by the merchants of the once famous Maritime Republic of Amalfi; the Arabic names limuczello and jardeno survive in Italian).

They were prized as a sovereign cure for scurvy, and now grow everywhere in Italy, from Sicily to Limone on Lake Garda, although some of the best, at least for making Limoncello, still grow around the Bay of Naples.

The limone femminello is Italy's oldest variety. Other varieties in the Slow Food Presidium are:

Limone di Procida: exceptionally big and sweet lemons from the little island near Capri.