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Religious and Cultural Significance of the Citron (Citrus medica L. ‘Diamante’) from Calabria (South Italy): A Biblical Fruit of the Mediterranean Land



Author(s)

Gina Maruca, Gaetano Laghetti and Karl Hammer

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DOI:10.17265/2162-5298/2015.04.006

The history and geographical origin of citron (Citrus medica L.) is still unknown but most of authors agree that it originated in Southeast Asia. There are different opinions about the exact period and the steps by which it was brought from its country of origin to the Mediterranean basin where it is cultivated in Corsica, Crete and in southern Italy (Calabria region). In particulary, Citrus medica ‘Diamante’ grows, almost exclusively, in a restricted area of the Tyrrhenian cost of the region Calabria, called “Riviera dei Cedri”, a relevant local economic district. This citron has been and is, still being used by Jews for worship during the Feast of Tabernacles, a very important religious ritual, where it plays a prominent part; in fact, for this holiday of Sukkot, the use of the authentic citron that grows in Calabria region is recommended, because it is not grafted. In this paper, the fascinating history of C. medica and its spread from the centers of origin to the Mediterranean is reported with the aim to investigate the religious and cultural significance of the C. medica ‘Diamante’, an exclusive and historical heritage of the Calabria region.

Citron (Citrus medica L.), sukkot, Hebrew.