CittàdellaPievehasplayeditsown
special part in the saffron renaissance.
Thanks to an initiative inspired by
agronomist Alberto Viganò in the 1980s,
the local crocus-farming tradition was
revived. And, as other farmers saw
saffron’s potential, the revival spanned
out to the extent that there are now 30
membersinIlCrocodiPietroPerugino,
the saffron growers’ consortium adopted
in Città della Pieve in June 2002.
You might think that saffron crocuses- which are perennial plants grown
from corms (bulb-like underground
plantstemsthatstorenutrients)–could
remain in the ground and come up year
afteryearbut,infact,cultivationis
extremely labour intensive. On an
annualbasis,thesoilhastobeprepared
toafinetilthandeveryJuly/August,
trenches have to be dug for the corms
to be planted in.
The plants bloom in October/
November each year, and the flowers
have to be picked by hand in the
mornings before they have opened, so
that their delicate orange stigmas won’t
get damaged. The stigmas must then
be separated from the petals by hand
and dried immediately. The cycle
continues as the plants’ leaves grow
and the corms multiply. In April to June
of each year, the corms are lifted from
the ground, after which the outer skins
are removed and the bulbs are sorted,
dried and stored for replanting the
following year. Saffron has a way of
cropping up regularly (pun intended)
and it runs like a golden thread through
the surrounding area.LEFT: GIANNI VINERBI; RIGHT: AGRICULTURE ENTHUSIAST
ANGELO LUDOVICI AND PIA CIACCIONI (GIANNI’S MOTHER)
WORKING IN A SAFFRON CROCUS FIELD ON GIANNI’S FARM,
TERRE DI CONFINE, NEAR CITTÀ DELLA PIEVE; BOTTOM:
SAFFRON FARMER FABIO BERNA AT SAPORE, THE FOOD
STALL IN PIEGARO, PERUGIA, DURING THE GLASS FESTIVAL94 APRIL 2019CULINARY TRAVEL