Lemon orchard on Lake Garda. Innovation and tradition, combining restoration and materials

Lake Garda represents a unicum, a small Mediterranean, seven centuries ago, the Franciscan friars introduced the first citrus fruits here as documented by the fourteenth-century capitals of the Cloister of San Francesco in Gargnano

It is the most northern place in the world where citrus fruits grow: cedars, lemons and bergamots. A small "miracle", made possible by the patient and ingenious work of the inhabitants who until then had been farmers, fishermen and "gardeners"

The introduction of citrus fruits marks a long and flourishing period for the economy of Lake Garda, which considered their cultivation to be a genuine activity. The giant greenhouses have sculpted the landscape of Upper Garda for centuries. These structures are characterized by high stone pillars and wooden planks, which served to protect the precious plantations from any harsh winters

On the west coast of Lake Garda, between Salò and Limone, there were almost eight hundred and fifty lemon orchards a century and a half ago. They were no longer profitable and were abandoned over time. Today, there are only a handful of productive lemon orchards

The restoration and preservation of these treasures have involved an ever-increasing number of people and designers, in order to honour the historical and cultural tradition. One example was the restoration of an old lemon orchard in Toscolano, which has maintained the special atmosphere of the old rural villages

The new houses with high insulation standards need suitable materials, as in this case, the covering of the wall with Geopietra made of mortar is in perfect symbiosis with the old greenhouses restored and cleaned. Geopietra wall, thanks to its versatility can meet every insulation need without compromising the aesthetics and tradition