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# 68 • SEPTEMBER 21 , 2015
however, in the 17th century, thanks to
the Este family, who freely distributed
the seeds to farmers.
While Europe was in the throes of the
French Revolution, the red fruits were already ripening among the greenery of
the vegetable gardens in the Parma hills.
According to “Il pomodoro: una sapienza antica” (“The tomato: an ancient wisdom”), however, the “pomme d’amour”
did not become the San Marzano tomato until 1902, in Fiano, a town between
Nocera, San Marzano and Sarno.
They were nurtured and pampered there by peasant families, who grew them in
characteristic rows on lines suspended
between posts, with the plants supported by steel wires or canes. The red fruits, sheltered from the sun’s rays by the
rich foliage, were a delight to gourmets
and the fragrance of Sundays for both
rich and poor. The warm soils of Vesuvius
were a determining factor for the extraordinary biodiversity of the San Marzano
tomato.
The Protection Consortium was established following the recognition of the
Protected Designation of Origin by the
European Union in 1996. The more enlightened industrial canners in the area,
together with the growers’ cooperatives
of the Sarno Valley, are duly crediting
with reopening the discussion about the
world’s most famous tomato. They determined the basic ecotypes for San Marzano tomato production with the help of
agricultural researchers from the Capania Regional Department of Agricultural.
The environmental association Legambiente also played an important role,
through its efforts for the redevelopment
of the Sarno River and the surrounding
area and the development proposals
adopted by the Agro Nocerino Sarnese
Territorial Pact.
The Agro Nocerino Sarnese agro-industrial system and the associations are
striving for the redevelopment of the
local area, which is rich in heritage and
resources, through initiatives including
the creation of an agricultural park, the
opening of a fragrance garden and gaining recognition for PDO San Marzano
tomatoes as an organic product.
WE THE ITALIANS | 17
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