L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano ELIZABETH SALTHOUSE G loriously glamorous villas dot the lakeside. Fearless kite-surfers scoot and skate over the sun-kissed water. And snow-capped mountains tumble towards the water's edge where colorful villages cling. Look a little closer, though, and you start to spot buildings with no roofs, clinging to the shore- line and slopes. There are hun- dreds of them and their history dates back over 800 years. They're not derelict, however, these are the lemon houses of Lake Garda and this is their story. The origins of Italian lemons Lemons and Italy go together like Laurel and Hardy, strawber- ries and cream or gin and tonic but many people don't realise that lemons aren't actually native to Italy. In fact, their origins are a little hazy, so no-one really knows where they come from, although it certainly wasn't Europe. The earliest records suggest that lemons were known to ancient Romans by the first cen- tury AD, having entered the empire via traders from Burma, China or Assam in northeast India. But they didn't take off. The fruits gradually spread through small-scale cultivation in Persia, Egypt and the Middle East, also featuring in ornamental Islamic gardens. But it would take another few centuries before the lemon arrived to be cultivated in Italy, first in Sicily with Arab conquerors in around 830 AD and then reaching the mainland via the port of Genoa 400-500 years later. It was around this time in the 13th century that monks from the Monastery of San Francesco in Gargnano brought the glorious tart fruits from the Ligurian coast inland to the shores of Lake Garda. And so was born the his- toric pairing that gave rise to the Riviera dei Limoni in northern Italy. Lemons and Lake Garda The "Lemon Riviera" of Lake Garda radiates out from the origi- nal monastery at Gargnano, fol- lowing the western coast of the axe-shaped lake. Stretching north to Limone sul Garda and south to Salò it takes advantage of the unusually mild climate of the gorge, despite its mountainous location. But although the sum- mers favour the growth of Mediterranean plants including olive and lemon trees, the win- ters can be a little chilly for fruits that need more protection. Fortunately the locals weren't discouraged by the agronomic challenge and their solution can still be seen alongside the water. But instead of building hothous- es or orangeries as English aris- tocratic families did to combat their more northerly climes, the Garda solution was much sim- pler and unique to the area. From a distance the clusters of lemon houses lining the shore- line look like countless derelict palazzi or warehouses. Their high stone pillars, backed by white walls on three sides, face the water and reach towards the open sky. But crucially, the front and the roof are open to the elements giving the appearance that the lemon houses are half-finished or have been left to decay. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, this is exactly how they were designed. The giant structures, a bit like glass-less, terraced greenhouses, are left open during Garda's hot summer months allowing the lemon trees to flourish and fruit in the sun's heat. As the air begins to cool in autumn and winter, the limonaia can be cov- ered with wooden struts that slot into the top of the structure. The temporary roof keeps the heat in and protects the valuable crops from the cold winds that drop off the mountains to the north. But crucially, although nearby Venice had a booming glass producing industry close by, the early lemon farmers did not use glass in their houses as it warmed the trees too early in spring, encouraging them to start growing but leaving them vulnerable to late frost damage. Over time the simple yet clever skeleton lemon houses worked so well that they enabled the exotic Asian lemon trees to fruit up to four times a year despite their transplantation to temperate northern Italy. The Riviera dei limoni became syn- onymous with fabulous, juicy fruits. And with plentiful, high quality production almost guar- anteed Riviera farmers reaped high profits exporting their fruits around Europe and Russia. The local economy was booming. Sadly, though, the story of Lake Garda's lemon houses doesn't end well and after the boom came the bust. Lemon production on Lake Garda was in its heyday in the late 1800s but by the 20th centu- ry the area's ascendancy was under threat from numerous quar- ters. Several exceptionally cold winters destroyed crops. A tree- killing virus laid waste to many mature plants. And the upkeep of the limonaia was becoming uneconomic. But the final nail in the coffin was cheap competition from Spain, Sicily and southern Italy as rivals undercut prices, taking over as the main lemon producing regions in Europe. Today, thankfully, lemon pro- duction in Lake Garda still con- tinues, albeit at a reduced level. So as you walk along the water- side or sail down the lake, there are still many monumental lemon houses clinging to the slopes just as they did in Goethe's time. And as he wrote then, "the hillside gardens, terraced and planted with lemon trees (still) create a rich and beautiful picture." There's even a limonaia museum at the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano near Salò, where three terraces of houses have been restored and replanted. And more and more limonaia are being brought back into use as the tourist market for limoncello, lemon cosmetics or local lemon recipes continues to grow. So maybe the future's not so bleak for the lemon houses of Garda and in the meantime at least now you'll know what they are next time you see them on your trav- els. From a distance the clusters of lemon houses lining the shoreline look like countless derelict palazzi or warehou- ses. Photo: Isaac74 Today, lemon production in Lake Garda still continues, albeit at a reduced level . Photo: cmfotoworks ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES The lemon houses of Lake Garda

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