A Divine Gift: The Greek Myth of Citrus Fruits

According to Greek mythology, when Juno married Jupiter, she gave him as a dowry some trees that produced splendid golden fruits, oranges and lemons, eternal symbols of love and fertility. This symbolic meaning continues to this day, as demonstrated by the tradition of using orange blossoms in wedding bouquets.

Jupiter considered those gifts so precious that he jealously guarded them in a magnificent garden, located in a remote region of the known world at the time, at the foot of Mount Atlas. To protect these legendary plants, he commissioned the Hesperides, young girls with melodious singing, assisted in their mission by the dragon Ladon.

Despite these precautions, Jupiter was unable to prevent their theft. During his eleventh labor, Hercules managed to take possession of the trees after a grueling fight that saw Ladon succumb. From that moment on, citrus fruits became accessible to humans, while maintaining their connection with divinity through the Greek term hesperidium, used in botany to indicate the citrus fruit.

From Asia to the Mediterranean: the long journey of citrus fruits

The cultivation of citrus fruits began in their region of origin, eastern Asia, around 2400 BC. Their journey to the Mediterranean was slow and progressive, passing through India and the Middle East. However, it seems that the Romans only knew the citron and the lemon, as evidenced by frescoes and mosaics of the time. It was only around the 7th century that the Arabs introduced the bitter orange, also known as melangolo, to Sicily.

Although many authoritative sources attribute the introduction of the sweet orange to the Arabs, there is no historical or literary evidence to support this thesis. Consequently, several scholars believe that the Portuguese were responsible for its spread, coinciding with the beginning of their colonial expansion in 1415. Evidence to support this hypothesis can be found in the diary of Vasco de Gama’s first oriental mission, in which he describes his encounter with sweet oranges: “sonvi melancie assai, ma tutte dolci…”. It is likely that the Portuguese discovered these fruits in the East and introduced them to Europe. Further confirmation is the fact that the sweet orange was called Portogallo, a name that persists in several southern dialects, such as those of Calabria and Salento (portagallu).

Citrus fruits in Salento: diffusion and importance

Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and cedars, are not native to Salento. They were introduced into the Mediterranean area thanks to trade with the East, probably by the Phoenicians and later by the Arabs. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, these crops spread in Salento, thanks to the mild climate and fertile soil that favor their luxuriant growth.

Citrus gardens became an integral part of the local agricultural culture, and even today it is possible to find orange and lemon groves that adorn the Salento countryside, especially in the more humid and wind-sheltered areas.

The symbolism of citrus fruits: between religion and legends

Over the centuries, citrus fruits have acquired an important role not only from an economic point of view, but also from a symbolic one.

In ancient times, and especially in the Medieval period, the orange is a symbol of love: to give, receive, exchange. In the Christian context, together with the citron and the lemon, the orange symbolized the Holy Trinity: the three citrus fruits, distinct in shape, are unique in substance. Lemons and oranges were planted in the garden of the house as well as in the porticoes of churches, symbolizing the ancestors and the souls in mortal bodies. According to a widespread legend, which is linked to the passage of Saint Francis in Salento, also in Lecce, in the oratory next to the Franciscan church and convent, the seraphic father planted an orange tree. It also happened that one day Saint Francis, unable to feed his companions, asked for charity from a devotee who, deeply mortified at having nothing to offer him, closed the door. Unperturbed, Saint Francis knocked a second time, but received the same answer. He tried a third time and the man, uncomfortable at not being able to please the beggar, told him that he did not have even a crumb of bread in the house. In fact, that very year, even the only orange tree he had in the garden had not borne fruit. Saint Francis asked to be accompanied near that tree and the astonishment of the owner of the house was immense when he saw that the sterile plant had grown luxuriantly and had a large load of wonderful fruit.

Citrus fruits and art in Baroque Salento

During the Baroque period, Salento experienced a period of great artistic and cultural ferment, and citrus fruits were considered symbols of purity, abundance and prosperity. They were often exchanged as precious gifts or used in events religious and ceremonies.

Citrus fruits were also used in the medical and cosmetic fields, thanks to their beneficial properties. Local traders exported these fruits to other territories, helping to consolidate the image of Salento as a land rich in natural resources.

Citrus culture is also visible in the art and architecture of Salento. During the Baroque period, local artists and architects began to use decorations inspired by citrus fruits in their works. Facades of churches and palaces, frescoes and sculptural details often include motifs that recall the golden fruits, a symbol of divine light and perfection.

A significant example is the Church of Santa Croce in Lecce, a masterpiece of Lecce Baroque. The intricate decorations of the facade include floral and natural motifs that recall the fertility of the Salento land, among which details that could be inspired by citrus fruits stand out.

Even in the historic gardens of noble villas, citrus fruits play an aesthetic and symbolic role. The “fenced citrus groves”, called “secret gardens”, were protected spaces where aristocrats grew citrus fruits not only for their nutritional value, but also for aesthetic and olfactory pleasure.

Citrus fruits and popular magic: macàre and spells

Even today in Salento you can hear about macàre and macarìe, and especially in the area of ​​Grecìa salentina, from Soleto to Sternatia to Zollino. Stories, sagas, songs, nursery rhymes: there is a vast literature on the macàre (or “daughters of the night” as Petronius poetically called them), which speaks of witches and their raids. Their specialization is the macarìe, spells.

The simplest and most widespread is the one to find lost love, and the main protagonist is precisely an orange. It was necessary to obtain a lock of hair from the beloved and an orange (symbol of the world). Using the wax from a lit candle, a hole had to be made in the center of the fruit and the lock of hair inserted. At this point, the orange had to be wrapped in string and, after tying a tight knot, hung on a wooden stick. Finally, needles or pins had to be stuck into the peel, pronouncing the appropriate spells and ritual magic formulas at each puncture. After that, the orange had to be kept under the mattress: it would become a powerful talisman, capable of making the beloved return in a short time, tying him or her to the person who had performed the rite… just like the string tied around the orange.

The game of “puni”: when oranges became a pastime

A hole in the center, five more around it. You would stand 4-5 meters away and throw a “rizza” orange (bitter, the bitter orange). If the orange stopped in one of the side holes, you won your stake; instead, whoever managed to get it into the central one took the entire prize pool.

This is the very ancient game of “puni”, whose name, in the linguistic islands of the old people of Terra d’Otranto, means “hole” or “pit”.

In Montesardo, in the Lecce area, puni was played until a few years ago, until the old players died. The games were played on spring and summer afternoons, on beautiful days, and the improvised playing field was located in the shade of the Chapel of the Immaculate Madonna. Players from all the nearby towns participated.

Today, in nearby Corsano, the “Idee a Sud-Est” Association has been organizing the Puni Championship for nine years, which this year was also opened to women. An ancient game, recovered and destined to be passed down to new generations.

Citrus fruits today: a legacy still alive

Today, the bond between Salento and citrus fruits continues to be strong. Many local farms have rediscovered ancient varieties of citrus fruits, growing them with organic and sustainable methods. Products such as jams, liqueurs (such as limoncello) and essential oils are exported all over the world, bringing a piece of Salento to international tables. In Salento, the mild climate makes this land ideal for growing citrus fruits. These trees are among the most common in urban gardens and rural areas, but it is especially in Alezio and the Gallipoli hinterland that their cultivation has reached a high level of specialization. Here, different varieties of sweet orange are grown with staggered ripening, in order to satisfy the provincial needs for a long period of the year. In addition to the most common varieties, such as the Arancio Biondo Comune, the Sanguinello and the Tarocco, there are lesser-known cultivars and numerous varieties of mandarins, lemons and rare citrus fruits.

Conclusion: a link between nature, history and culture

Salento and citrus fruits share a rich and fascinating history, which unites nature, tradition and art. This link is not only a testimony of the past, but also a source of inspiration for the present and the future. Strolling among the citrus groves of Salento or admiring the artistic details that celebrate these fruits is a way to discover the deep soul of this unique and generous land