Miele della Lunigiana DOP
Photo (c)
MaranzaMax
Lunigiana is a mountainous territory in Tuscany, extending
across the Magra River valley to a creek known as Vara. It takes
its name from the ancient settlement of Luni that was
established in 177 BC.
Thanks to its geographical position, the Magra Valley has always
been a major trade route between the southern Italian peninsula,
through the Po River Valley to the rest of Europe. The ancient
Roman road that connected Pisa to Genoa, via Luni, and extended
all the way north to Arles, was built over a prehistoric trail.
The earliest reference to honey production in this region is a
detailed tax assessment, from 1508, that lists honey as an
income producing activity and sets a tax on each of the 331
beehives in the area. Honey was used at that time as a general
sweetener, as an essential ingredient in cakes and desserts, and
for its medicinal qualities. The wax, on the other hand, was
used to manufacture candles.
The great importance of apiculture to the earliest history of
the valley's economy is evidenced by legal statutes, and ancient
regulations on swarm recovery, on colony placement, and other
necessary activities for maintaining beehives.
Legal documents from the 18th Century provide a glimpse of
measures adopted by communities against thieves. Regulating
bodies kept lists of honey producers, that were updated each
year and included information on the number of hives owned, as
well as the amount of honey they harvested.
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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