Lemons from the Amalfi coast have been cultivated in the province of Salerno for centuries, growing in terraced groves which are stretched up the hillsides of every village in the area, spreading the intoxicating fragrance of citrus blossoms and dotting the beautiful Amalfi landscapes with green and yellow.

Prized for their low acidity and delicate flavor, Amalfi lemons are so sweet you can eat them whole! When they're not enjoyed fresh, traditionally cut into slices sprinkled with salt, mint leaves and drizzled with some vinegar, these aromatic fruits are used for making jams, preserves, lemon honey, sorbettos and various desserts. 

Also known as Limone di Massa Lubrense or Massese, named after a small community of villages settled at the tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula, these fragrant lemons are derived from the local ecotype Ovale di Sorrento and grown in the province of Naples since the Renaissance.

The first lemon trees were planted by the Jesuits in the 18th century, and one of the very first cultivars named Gesù still exists today in the Guarazzanno Basin, between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense. Due to a special cultivation technique, Limone di Sorrento can bear fruit up to five times a year, which makes this variety available year round. 

The intensive cultivation of lemon trees on Sicily was started by the Jesuits who were expert farmers and can be traced back to the 17th century. Today, more than 50% of all Italian citruses are produced on the island.

Named after its province of origin, Limone di Siracusa refers to the fresh fruit of the Femminello Siracusano cultivar and derived ecotypes. These lemons are harvested year round and depending on the ripening period, they are available in following varieties: Primofiore (lit. first flower) which matures from October to March, Bianchetto or Maiolino which are spring lemons maturing from April to June, and Verdello or summer lemon which matures from July to September. 

Limone dell'Etna is a term referring to lemons that are grown along the Etna coastal strip, between the Alcantara river and the northern parts of Catania. The lemons are divided into two cultivars – Femminello and Monachello. The Femminello is harvested in winter, spring, or summer.

It has an elliptical shape and the flesh color ranges from light green to light yellow or lemon yellow. The Monachello variety is also harvested in winter, spring, or summer, and the shape is elliptical, ovoid, or spheroidal. These lemons are rich in essential oils of high aromatic quality, which can be attributed to the fact that they are grown in an environment with a specific volcanic soil and climate. 

Derived from the Interdonato cultivar, a natural hybrid between lemon and citron, these fragrant lemons are grown along the Ionian Sea coast of the Sicilian province of Messina, in the area extending from the city of Messina to Giardini Naxos.

Named after a Garibaldi colonel Giovanni Interdonato, this variety was first cultivated in 1860 by crossbreeding citron with Ariddaru, a local lemon cultivar. Interestingly, the mother plants can still be found growing in the colonel's Ali Terme villa Reitana. 

The fragrant Femminello lemons are traditionally grown on the Gargano peninsula, between the Apulian towns of Vico del Gargano Ischitella and Rodi Garganico, which is the only citrus producing region on the Italian Adriatic coast, famous for its lush orange and lemon groves and known as il triangolo giallo-arancio, meaning "the yellow-orange triangle". Limone Femminello del Gargano refers to fresh lemons of the two local cultivars: Limone a Scorza Gentile or Lustrino and Limone Oblungo or Fusillo, both of which are available year-round and differ in the amount of essential oils present in their skin and only slightly in appearance.

Femminello lemons go especially well with fish and fried food but they're also great as the basis for jams, fruit preserves and marmalades or used in the preparation of various desserts, juices and liqueurs.