The Lemon of Sorrento, yellow gold of the agricultural production of the territory, is considered symbol and ambassador of Sorrento typicality in the world.
It is in the heart of the Sorrento peninsula that our Lemon Tour Experience was born.
This walk, in the suggestive and naturalistic setting offered by the nineteenth-century villa and its lemon groves, will allow you to test all the phases of cultivation and production of our lemon in the most authentic and realistic way.
Almost all the different hypotheses agree that the lemon arrived in Italy from Southern Asia. It is thought that this product arrived in Sorrento from India, before 539 BC. Therefore, it is almost certain that citrus plants existed in Italy since the early imperial age. Some researchers believe that also the ancient Romans knew the lemon because of numerous paintings and mosaics found in the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum where were represented some citrus similar to the current lemons of Sorrento, which testify the use of these fruits on the tables of our ancestors. Anyhow, the most important documents on the presence of lemons in the area date back to the Renaissance period. In fact, were found a lot of sales statuses, paintings, literature, and botanical treatises that talk about the use of locally produced lemons for the most varied uses.
Later, the lemon was mentioned in the works of the poet Torquato Tasso, of the philosopher Giambattista della Porta and finally, of the historian Bonaventura of Sorrento who in the 19th century testified the shipment of the product all over the world. However, the fame and fortune of the Sorrento lemon is due to the tenacity and skills of local producers, which improved over the centuries and which have made the Sorrento IGP lemon one of the most refined and valued products in the world.
The protected geographical indication (IGP) “Limone di Sorrento” refers to a variant of the common lemon “Citrus Limon” produced exclusively in the Sorrento peninsula. This lemon is known with the name of “Ovale Sorrentino” or “Limone di Massa“: the weight of each fruit is not less than 85 grams and has an elliptical shape, while the pulp is characterized by a straw yellow color whose very acid juice it is particularly rich in vitamin C and mineral salts. The yellow, medium-thick peel is rich in essential oils and is the main ingredient of the famous “Limoncello“.
The quality of “Limone di Sorrento” IGP is exalted by a very particular and unique production technique. Lemon plants grow under the famous “straw mats” that are placed on wooden support poles, usually of chestnut, to cover the foliage of the trees, to protect them especially from the cold and the wind and to delay the ripening of the fruits, which represents one of the main elements of typicality of this production.
As in the Amalfi area, even in Sorrento lemon groves are often defined as real “lemon gardens“.
The “Our Lemon Tour Experience” will lead you to discover this priceless product and its secrets. The cultivation and harvesting of lemons together with the preparation of the typical limoncello will be the main theme of this unique experience. We will discover together the secrets of our liqueur, its history, the ancient recipe, and its peculiarities. We will walk together under the cool shadow of our trees; we will talk about the myths and anecdotes that surround this fruit and finally we will reach the terrace of the villa. Here, overlooking the Gulf of Naples, an aperitif will be waiting for you. You can enjoy the breath-taking view while tasting our liqueur and a selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables rigorously grown by the same farm. Through our Lemon Tour you will discover the differences between the artisanal limoncello of Villa Beatrice and the commercial one, all immersed in the colours, smells and flavours of this splendid territory.
We are waiting for you!
