MENTON

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nFrom From 1717 february februaryto to March 2018March 2018

Laa Fêtte du Cittroon®

The story of ‘la Fête du Citron®’ told by its mascot, John Lemon

A look back at some key dates

The themes since 1959

Bollywood - a riot of colour

A few notes about Indian cinema

Holi - the festival of colours

Some key fi gures about an event which is unique in the world

Practical information - the main events, prices and contacts

Thhhe feestivaal’s muulti-skkilleed princciple ppllayerss

Once upon a time - la Fête du Citron® and the people working behind the scenes

A few key dates in the creation of the citrus fruit patterns

Thhhe MMentonn Leemoon - RRivierraa goldd

John Lemon tells the story of the Menton Lemon

How do you recognise a genuine Menton Lemon ?

Now we have the PGI, everything can get started again !

John Lemon has been the mascot for ‘la Fête du Citron®’ since 2014. He is a cute little lemon with bright eyes and a wide yellow smile. Who better to tell us about the history of this unique event ?

“It all began in 1928 in the gardens of one of the most beautiful hotels in Menton - the Riviera Palace. The management put forward the idea of an exhibition of fl owers and citrus fruit displayed in gold and silver-painted wicker baskets. My grandfather was there in one of the baskets ! He often told me that the wealthy (and frequently blasé) residents staying in this luxurious establishment were so enthusiastic about the event that it was repeated over the following years. The Menton Florists’ Association also thought about celebrating this fantastic fruit, which was enjoyed by the town in such large quantities. So, in 1934, a Fête du Citron® was organised, backed by the Festival Committee. This was followed in 1935 with a new, carnival-style event lasting three days on the square in front of the town hall. 1936 was an important year as this was when it was decided that the event should reach its full potential. The duration of the festival was increased to 6 days and the Biovès gardens (the top destination for tourists to Menton) became the focal point for the celebrations.

According to article 1 of the regulations for exhibitors, the main aim was to ‘show the public all the fruit varieties in the citrus family which were grown in gardens in Menton and in the surrounding countryside, as well as the plants, fl owers and exotic fruit which typifi ed agricultural export and were a result of the gentle climate’. Beds fi lled with oranges and lemons were created, and a huge design in the shape of a clock was made by the town’s department for gardens. My grandfather was full of praise for this design because it was so unusual and heralded the kind of creations that were to come.

Lemons continued to inspire new ideas for festivals, which became increasingly impressive. For example, in 1953, metal hoops covered in citrus fruit appeared along the avenues - a precursor to the vertical structures that were to come. Yes - vertical ! From now on, this became the watchword for designers who favoured the increasingly spectacular, with larger and larger structures in even greater numbers. In 1957, the fi rst free-standing patterns appeared. The town’s technical department created wrought iron supports in order to conserve fruit and present it in the best way possible. In 1955, the festival had a theme for the fi rst time - music ! It should be noted that as a result of the Festival of Music, Menton became known a few years later as a great music-loving town. Soon, the themes were constantly changed, creating a new experience for every year ! These have included countries, stories, cartoon characters, etc.

And then... a great idea ! In 1959, elastic bands replaced the traditional piercing of fruit to fi x it to the metal frames. This led to the fruit lasting much longer.

The Festival’s popularity increased so much each year that in the 1970s a footbridge was built to link the two sections of the Biovès gardens. In 1978, the duration of the festival was increased to two weeks, and in 1983 it attracted a record crowd of 100,000 visitors.

In the mid-1990s, over 130 tonnes of fruit were needed to complete the increasingly spectacular designs.

Over the past few years, the festival’s programme has expanded. Every two or three days, there is an event within the main event. Enough vitamin Cis therefore vital to keep all the key players

THE STORY OF ‘ LA FETE DU CITRON® ’ TOLD BY JOHN LEMON

LAA FEETE DUU CCITRRON®

For 85 years, Menton has been celebrating its love aff air with the lemon during ‘la Fête du Citron®’ -a festival which has become known throughout the world and which is like none other on earth. Each year, the town renews this commitment with thousands of visitors, huge designs covered in citrus fruit, fl ower beds fi lled with colour, blue skies, magical nights, astonishing parades and music, etc.

1928 : the fi rst exhibition of fl owers and citrus fruit in the gardens of the Riviera Palace hotel.

1934 : the offi cial birth of ‘la Fête du Citron®‘, backed by the Menton Festival Committee

1935 : the fi rst poster for ‘la Fête du Citron®‘ appeared and the fi rst parade took place.

1936 : ‘La Fête du Citron®’ takes place over 6 days and uses the Biovès gardens for the fi rst time. Nearly 10,000 lemons and 12, 000 oranges are used to create designs on the ground.

1953 : the citrus fruit is now fi xed on metal arches along the avenues in the Biovès gardens.

1955 : for the fi rst time, ‘la Fête du Citron®’ has a theme - music !

1957 : the fi rst free-standing designs appear. The town’s technical department has the idea of creating wrought iron supports in order to conserve fruit and present it in the best way possible. Following the great frost of 1956, the organisation is forced to look to Sicily to supply the increasing demand for fruit.

1959 : A new way of attaching fruit - the citrus fruit is no longer pierced, but is instead attached to the structures using elastic bands.

1970 : a footbridge now links the two sections of the Biovès gardens.

1978 : the length of the festival is increased to two weeks in view of the numbers it is attracting.

1982 : a record year - 100 tonnes of citrus fruit are needed to decorate the fl oats and designs.

1983 : the festival’s 50th anniversary

1991 : La Fête du Citron® is cancelled because of the Gulf War.

1993 : the festival holds its fi rst night-time parade to celebrate its 60th anniversary. The name ‘Fête du Citron®’ becomes a registered trademark.

1995 : Disneyland comes to the land of lemons is the theme for the year. Also, the Menton Lion King made of oranges and lemons is exhibited at Disneyland Paris.

2000 : the fi rst articulated designs appear.

2007 : the creation of the ‘Gardens of Lights’. Visitors enter the Biovès gardens at night for the fi rst time.

2015 : during the winter of 1955, tractors fi nally replace donkeys to pull the fl oats. 60 years later, the festival sees the appearance of the fi rst self-propelled fl oats.

A LOOK-BACK OVER LA FETE DU CITRON® WITH SOME KEY DATES

and visitors going ! There is always something happening - day and night !

Since 1993, the name ‘Fête du Citron®’ has been a registered trademark. Now you understand why there is that little ® next to the name !

Now that you know a little more about our festival, let your inner child and emotions run free, and enjoy the mild Menton winter climate, the spectacular fruit and beautiful colour ! “

1959 : Flowers

1960 : The little world of our rural areas

1961 : Symphony in orange and gold

1962 : Love

1963 : Lemons throughout the ages

1964 : The yé-yé bands

1965 : Waterfalls of Orange and Gold

1966 : The 4 Seasons

1967 : The Signs of the Zodiac

1968 : Lucky Charms

1969 : The travels of Roy Lemon

1970 : Music

1971 : The Lemon and the Sea

1972 : A Whole Host of Possibilities

1973 : A Trip to the Moon

1974 : Lemons and China

1975 : The Golden Fruit Congress has fun

1976 : Party Time for the Lemon

1977 : The Lemon...in all its Guises

1978 : A Journey through the History of Menton

1979 : The Circus

1980 : Reducing Waste

1981 : Provence

1982 : Jules Verne

1983 : The Lemon’s Golden Anniversary

1984 : Lemons without Borders

1985 : The Cinema

1986 : Stories and Legends

1987 : Love and Passion

1988 : The Wonders of the World

1989 : If the History of France Could Talk

1990 : Myths and Legends of the Mediterranean

1991 : The Year of Mozart

1992 : The ‘Fêtes Galantes’

1993 : Europe Celebrates

1994 : Enchanted Seascapes

1995 : Disneyland comes to the Land of Lemons

1996 : Asterix comes to the Land of Lemons

1997 : Menton Monaco: a Tale of Princes

1998 : Tintin comes to the Land of Lemons

1999 : Lucky Luke in Menton

2000 : The Fables of La Fontaine

2001 : The Fairy Tales of Perrault

2002 : Pinocchio

2003 : Alice in Wonderland

2004 : Walt Disney Studio

2005 : Viva Espana

2006 : Menton showcases Carnivals from around the World - guest of honour ‘Brazil’

2007 : Menton showcases Carnivals from around the World - guest of honour ‘India’

2008 : Menton showcases the Islands of the World

2009 : Menton celebrates music from around the world

2010 : Menton goes to the movies

2011 : Menton celebrates the great civilisations

2012 : Menton showcases the regions of France

2013 : Menton - a secret stopover in around the world in 80 days

2014 : 20,000 leagues under the sea

2015 : Tribulations of a Lemon in China !

2016 : Cinecittà

2017 : Bollywood

LA FETE DU CITRON® THEMES SINCE 1959

BOLLYWOODA riot of colour

From the 17 February, La Fête du Citron® will be departing for India and the colourful, throbbing and deliciously kitsch world of Bollywood.

This will round off a trilogy of themes that have been devoted to the enchanting and emotion-packed worlds of the cinema and musicals. Now, following on from Cinecittà and Broadway, we have Bollywood !The West has discovered and marvelled at the sweeping sagas of Indian cinema for some years now, where music and dance takes centre stage. Energy, colour, rhythm, beauty and faith are just some of the essential ingredients that contribute to the success of these fi lms - ingredients that will undoubtedly be on show during the 85th Fête du Citron®.

Visit the Biovès gardens

The Hindu tradition is evident in Bollywood cinema through references made both to faith and the numerous Indian gods. The avenues in the Biovès gardens will immerse you into this very special world, where music, spirituality and the beauty of nature are combined with the day-to-day lives of its heroes, helping them in their tales of thwarted love and through the ups and downs of life. Come and see the deities which carry their hopes and dreams, the magnifi cent architecture, the designs depicting their desires and incredible adventures, the animals and fl owers which enchant them and lead them to the inevitable happy ending that any great fi lm requires.

From 17 February to 4 March 2018

Open to the public 17 February at 2.00 pm

The Gardens of Lights

The Gardens of Lights entails a stroll at nightfall through the citrus fruit patterns, which take on an ethereal quality under artistic, artifi cial lighting. Everything possesses a dreamlike and mysterious air in the darkness. The colours sparkle and acquire a poetry of their own. It is a world full of light which ignites the imagination, creating unforgettable memories. Come and enjoy a beautiful journey into the exotic world of Bollywood under the light of the moon in Menton.

Saturday 17 February, Friday 23 February and 2 March.

From 8.30 pm.

The Parades of Decorated Floats - unmissable

La Fête du Citron® would not be what it is today without its famous parade of decorated fl oats. Events take place during the day (every Sunday) and night in a euphoric atmosphere full of colour. Decorated fl oats, each one more amazing than the last, will capture the world of Bollywood accompanied by the rhythms and sounds of Indian dance and music. It is a unique show that will be treat for all the senses ! At nightfall on Thursdays, a magnifi cent fi rework display marks the end of the parade.

Sunday 18, 25 February and 4 March at 2.30 pm

Thursday 22 February and 1 March at 9.00 pm

Events Taking Place around the Festival

There is also a wide range of events, shows, concerts and exhibitions taking place throughout La Fête du Citron® ! In the town itself, there is a selection of street entertainment.

For more information, please download the festival app which can be used on smartphones and tablets, or go to the festival’s website: www.feteducitron.com

A few notes about Indian cinema

Cinema has inspired real passion in India ever since it fi rst appeared. The very fi rst screening took place in Bombay in 1896, just a short while after fi lm was fi rst shown in Paris. The Lumière brothers were in attendance to introduce their invention and to take a few short fi lms.

Since then, India has become the world’s prime fi lm producer, with three key cinematic centres : Bombay (for fi lms in the Hindi language), Calcutta (for fi lms in Bengali) and Madras (for fi lms in Tamil). The country has over 12,000 cinemas and produces about 850 fi lms each year - a record number which is three times larger than that for production in Hollywood. India exports 85% of its fi lms to Asia and the Middle East. Over the past few years, the West has discovered this kitsch and colourful world of cinema.

In Bollywood fi lms, melodrama rubs shoulders with musical theatre, adventure fi lms, cop dramas and

even the supernatural without ever worrying about realism. The fi lms have to be everything all at the same time.

The show takes place on screen, as well as in the movie theatres themselves, as the audience takes full part in the action. They applaud the heroes, alert them to danger, insult the baddies, and sing and dance along with the actors. They can escape their tough day-to-day lives for 3 to 4 hours - Bollywood fi lms are always very long and have to have an interval.

Music and dance are very important. Productions today require an average of six dances and three songs.

The music is then marketed very successfully and can be heard in all the streets, particularly during the Holi festival.

BOLLYWOOD OR POPULAR INDIAN CINEMA

The arrival of spring in India is marked with a huge celebration called Holi - the festival of colours. It is celebrated during the full moon in the month of Phâlguna, which falls in March. The date of the event, which lasts two days, is determined by the Panchang - the Hindu astrological calendar. Thursday 1 and Friday 2 March are the key dates for 2018.

Many Indians return to their villages to celebrate Holi with their families. It is a unique occasion in the year as all social barriers are ignored, men and women are equal and the castes can mix.

The demoness Holika is remembered. She was the sister of king Hiranyakashipu and is from where the name of the Holi festival originates. Hiranyakashipu was a true tyrant, being both vicious and cruel. He was proud enough to consider himself a deity. His son, Prahlad, refuses to bow down to him. So, Hiranyakashipu and Holika decide to kill him. The king challenges Prahlad to lie down next to the demoness on a pyre. One of the demoness’ powers is to be able to defy fi re. The young man accepts, despite the danger. A miracle happens. He survives, protected by his faith in Vishnu, whilst Holika perishes in the fl ames. Hiranyakashipu is sentenced to death by Vishnu. From henceforth, Prahlad and his people live in peace.

During the night on the fi rst day of festivities, pyres are lit throughout India as a reminder of Holika the demoness’ cremation, to ward off evil spirits and to celebrate the destruction of evil. Indians take the embers home to light a new fi re.

The next day, a magical multi-coloured whirlwind breaks out across the country. It symbolises the love story between Krishna and the shepherdess, Radha. The god, who has a dark or blue skin depending on the depiction, envies the whiteness of his beloved. To hide the diff erence, he covers the shepherdess’ face in colour.

So, on the second day of the festival, Indians walk around the streets dressed in white and throw coloured paint at each other, while apologising immediately. The apologies are quickly tolerated because the coloured paint, whilst blurring the diff erences between the social castes, symbolises the following wishes: green is for harmony, orange for optimism, blue for vitality and red for happiness and love. People enjoy themselves and sing and dance to traditional music. Meals specially prepared for the occasion are eaten and handaï or bhang is drunk - this is a mixture of iced milk, almonds, spices and cannabis. The scenes are as joyful and happy as those often seen in the Bollywood fi lms.

THE HOLI FESTIVAL

This year, we are inviting both children and adults alike to our Holi Party to be held during the afternoon of Saturday 24. It is our version of the festival, celebrated with modern sounds, but with the same philosophy of sharing a sense of happiness, optimism, love and enjoyment of life itself !

SOME OF THE EVENT’S KEY FIGURESIn addition to the involvement of the majority of the municipal services and all the staff at the Tourist Offi ce, la Fête du Citron® employs nearly 400 people recruited as warehousemen, cashiers and screening staff .

There are also over 200 artists, dancers and musicians taking part throughout the event.

All the security staff positioned at the entrances to the event in addition to the police force must also be included.

20 days of festival

240,000 spectators on average each year

10 fl oats and 13 decorated displays in the gardens

400 participants

Over 20,000 hours worked by crews, primarily municipal

12 people in charge of changing any fruit which has deteriorated each day

140 tonnes of citrus fruit for the gardens and fl oats

Up to 18 tonnes of fruit for the most magnifi cent designs

45 kg of oranges or 30 kg of lemons are needed to cover 1 m2

10 tonnes of additional fruit to replace any damaged fruit

Over 750,000 elastic bands for attaching the fruit

Between 6 and 8 km of woven box hedge

15 tonnes of steel

PRACTICAL INFORMATION - The main eventsThe main events and prices

Saturday 17 February at 11.00 am : opening of the 85th Fête du Citron®

Saturday 17 February at 2.00 pm : opening of the exhibition of citrus fruit patterns

Saturday 17 February, 8.30 pm : The Gardens of Lights

Sunday 18 February, 2.30 pm : Golden Fruit Parade

Thursday 22 February, 9 pm : The night-time parade (followed by fi reworks)

Friday 23 February, 8.30 pm : The Gardens of Lights

Saturday 24 February, 3.30 pm : Holi Party

Sunday 25 February, 2.30 pm : Golden Fruit Parade

Thursday 1 March, 9 pm : The night-time parade (followed by fi reworks)

Friday 2 March, 8.30 pm : The Gardens of Lights

Sunday 4 March, 2.30 pm : The Golden Fruit Parade

Press contact Patricia Mertzig+33 (0) 4 92 41 76 53Patricia.mertzig@ville-menton.fr

The Menton portfolioww.fl ickr.com/photos/tourisme-menton/collections

Other internet siteswww.tourisme-menton.frwww.menton.fr

Menton Tourist Information Offi cePalais de l’Europe,8 avenue Boyer,06500 Menton, France+ 33 (0)4 92 41 76 76

PRACTICAL INFORMATIONContact Numbers and Festival Support

PRACTICAL INFORMATION - The prices Individual prices (more information about group prices can be found at www.feteducitron.com)

Exhibition of Citrus patterns :

Adult : € 12

Children (6 to 14 years) : € 6

Free for accompanied children under 6 years

Golden Fruit Parade and Night-time Parade :

Stand :

Adult : € 25

Children (6 to 14 years) : € 10

Promenades :

Adult : € 12

Children (6 to 14 years) : € 6

Free for accompanied children under 6 years

The Gardens of Lights :

Adult : € 13

Children (6 to 14 years) : € 8

Package 1 (1 stand +1 garden entry)

Adult : € 32

Children (6 to 14 years) : € 15

Package 2 (1 promenade + 1 garden entry)

Adult : € 20

Children (6 to 14 years) : € 10

Stands: numbered seating (reservation required)

Free admission (except to stands) for children under 6 and people with reduced mobility (on presentation of a disability card with over 80 % disability)

The festival on the internetwww.feteducitron.comDownload the festival app

THHHE FFESTIVVALL’S MULTTI-SKKILLLED PPRINCCIPPLE PLLAYERRSSLa Fête du Citron® is an iconic event in Menton and, over the years, has turned into a grand production. With nearly 400 participants recruited for the event in addition to municipal workers and Tourist Offi ce staff , the event requires a wide range of skills, some of which are very similar to what is needed for working in the entertainment industry !

A few notes about Indian cinema

La Fête du Citron® in Menton: three days of festivities after 365 days of preparation.

Everything starts at the event’s head offi ce at the Tourist Offi ce. It has the diffi cult task of coming up with and then managing the theme for the year The key aim is that it will excite and delight the public. The organisation requires careful management across all areas, from the creation of the budget, to the forecasting and management of expenditure and estimated income, the scheduling of the entertainment, workshops and parades, the selection of professionals and companies that will make it all happen, the creation of a safety plan, the assessment of human needs and equipment requirements, recruitment, ordering the citrus fruit and even planning for unexpected events !Nothing can be left to chance and everything must run like clockwork. The Municipal Technical Services Department (CTM) workshops and the Parks and Gardens Department base their work on the foundations laid by the event’s head offi ce. The visual success of la Fête du Citron® now rests with them.

The workshops bustle with numerous employees, technicians and craftsmen whose imaginative and creative work is essential to give the festival its magical feel. Ange Landra is the experienced leader of this team of artists whose talent is added to each year. Over a period of months, designs are sketched out and steel frames several metres high are constructed, painted and decorated and fi ne-tuned to the very last detail. It is a large-scale undertaking, which starts in November and cannot be held up for any reason. Once the structures are assembled in the Biovès gardens, the Municipal

Technical Services Department passes the baton to the Parks and Gardens Department.

The gardeners’ painstaking job then begins. And what a long and tedious task it is ! Oranges, lemons, fl owers, wood chips - everything has to be in the right place so that the drawings are reproduced with pin-point accuracy. The wonderment of thousands of visitors from across the world depends on their precision and patience.

The Festival is now ready to start. However, people are still busy behind the scenes !

The Department for Roadways, Environment, Cleanliness and Traffi c Flow are standing at the ready throughout the entire event. The Department’s (SVEPC) employees do a great deal of work, from signage that allows everyone to easily access the gardens and parades of decorated fl oats, to keeping the town a clean and pleasant place to be 24/7. In no time at all, they must return the streets to their spotless state following an inundation of confetti.

The department for Services, Trade and Hygiene operate in the gardens and parades where lemon sellers, sweet vendors and vendors of other small delicacies gather. The health of every consumer and the peace of mind of every visitor are the absolute priority.

The local police force work tirelessly to ensure the town’s safety and that traffi c fl ows freely on busy days.

The many attractions and events laid on by the Tourist Offi ce’s Entertainment department and the town’s Heritage department (which is a branch of the Ministry of Culture for Towns of History

ONCE UPON A TIME - LA FETE DU CITRON®

AND THE PEOPLE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES

A FEW KEY DATES IN THE CREATION OF THE CITRUS PATTERNSSeptember

Work begins in the workshops on building the fi rst fl oats

November

7 fl oats are already completed. They are stored to await being decorated with the fruit - which only happens at the last minute

The creation of the designs for the exhibition of citrus fruit patterns starts

January

The footbridge linking the Biovès gardens is erected

The patterns are traced on the ground in the Biovès gardens

Box is sourced, which will be woven into garlands

The huge designs are transported in sections from the workshops to the gardens at night on a special convoy of lorries

The metal structures are erected and soldered together, and the scaff olding put up for the citrus fruit decoration task. The garlands of box and the power supplies are put in place

Fences are erected around the Biovès gardens

The fi rst delivery of citrus fruit is received and the decoration task begins

February

Continuation of the decoration task and disassembly of the scaff olding

Completion of the designs on the ground

The grass is put into position and the fi nishing touches made…

The festival is now ready to start !

and Art) means that the festival makes an impact across the whole town. Schoolchildren in Menton are also not forgotten, thanks to the involvement of the Youth and Education department. Each year, the department’s employees collaborate with the schools and juggle timetables and safety precautions to ensure that each class is able to visit the Biovès gardens and enjoy the festival.

And fi nally, all the work of employees at the ‘Palais de l’Europe’ must be acknowledged. They play a part in the festival from its safety through to providing information all week long from dawn until dusk, and ensure the smooth operation of this great, unique and exhilarating event - la Fête du Citron®.

THHHE MMENTOON LEEMON -- RIVVIERA GGOLDThis fruit, with its elliptical shape, bright yellow colour and skin packed full of essential oils fl ourishes here in the Mediterranean salty air. Its strong aroma, unrivalled quality of taste, sweet fl esh and fragrant zest are very much sought after by the top chefs and pastrycooks, as well as by knowledgeable consumers.

Hello ! You have probably seen me just about everywhere in Menton already - particularly at the moment ! I haven’t been able to introduce myself yet. My name is John Lemon. Yes- I know what you are thinking, I look nothing like him ! The Lemons are one of the oldest and largest families in Menton. I have uncles, aunts and cousins in all the districts in the town.

It is a very nice place to live. The climate is warm and humid, and the winters are exceptionally mild, thanks to all the mountains which provide protection from cold winds. As for the soil... it is such a delight ! I am a little biased, it’s true - just like everyone from Menton ! Don’t you fi nd ?

Where do I come from ? I know that my family were established on the Ligurian coast in the 14th century. Some of my ancestors then came to live in Menton, attracted by the prospect of a promising future. It’s true that the oranges were not so pleased to see us arrive. They soon realised that the town would belong to us. No quarter was given. Today, Menton is the town of the lemon. I’ve some written evidence which supports this fact. In 1807, a doctor wrote, ‘The lemon tree is one of this lucky climate’s greatest assets. There is nowhere else on the Provence coastline where it grows in such great abundance’. And another specialist wrote in a book published in 1849, ‘The lemon trees, which fruit so heavily in the Menton valley, can only be seen in Hyères and Nice growing as single individual trees in the middle of fi elds, where they fruit very little, or not at all’.

So, the people of Menton very quickly adopted my ancestors. A deed, dated 20 April 1471, mentions land where they were living happily and were prospering. In 1495, some members of my family were sent by Jérôme Grimaldi (a member of that great Monaco family, who would go on to become rulers in the 17th century) to the Duke of Orléans. To be honest, the text at the time talks only of ‘orange apples’, but there is a good chance that some Lemons were part of the delegation.

The Lemons reached their golden era in the 17th century. The family increased in size considerably, became very rich and, in their generosity, passed the benefi t on to the people of Menton. The Princes of Monaco established a legal framework for its expansion and imposed standards of aesthetic excellence. The Lemons were forced to allow the use of gauges to measure and classify their circumferences. You couldn’t just look however you wanted - the Menton lemon had to be shown at its best. There was much to be proud about. Thanks to the Lemon family, the town of Menton and the Principality of Monaco had become rich. They created a lot of jobs, sometimes employing foreigners such as the Genoese who were attracted by the work, and created a livelihood for many bourgeois and farming families, as well as for traders and sailors. Thanks to us, many off -shoot activities were created, for example cooperage, cabinetmaking, distilling, etc.

Every traveller talked about the beauty which we had brought to the countryside around Menton. Oh ! Just imagine the delight experienced by these travellers as they strolled through the citrus groves and drank in the aroma of thousands of fl owering Lemons. There is an author, who I like very much, called Stéphen Liégeard. He wrote in 1887, ‘Breezes in the little valleys shower passers-by with the heady fragrance of the lemon trees’. It’s the stuff dreams are made from, isn’t it ?

And it was a dream for the Lemons too. They were growing in open-air gardens, that were often quite small. It was nothing like the overpopulation of large cultivated areas seen in other parts of the world ! There were regulations stipulating how the Lemons should be looked after at harvest time, ‘The sun must be up, the weather calm and dry, the fruit must be collected in baskets lined with canvas or placed on the ground on a bed of canvas’. And then there were those women, the ‘limoneuses’, who carried the fruit in large baskets on their heads, walking with a fi rm tread and arched backs along the steep, rocky paths.

JOHN LEMON TELLS THE STORY OF THE MENTON LEMON

Although there are as many diff erent varieties of lemons as there are places to grow them, not all are the same. They can be distinguished from each other according to several criteria, including shape, thickness of the skin, colour, aroma, acidity, etc. Only eight varieties of lemon in Europe have the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) accreditation.

The Menton Lemon originates from the Citrus Limon species, which includes the Adamo, Cerza, Eureka and Santa Térésa varieties. The ‘Menton’ variety diff ers from its Spanish and Italian cousins in its elliptical shape and its colour, which varies with the time of year. To start off with, the lemons are a light yellow, or even a light greenish colour. When they reach maturity, they become a nearly luminous yellow - giving them their name of ‘the golden fruit’. Their fi ne-grained skin is very fragrant and releases aromatic essences, marked by a strong aroma of fresh lemon balm. The clear, yellow-tinted juice has an intense aroma and is mildly acidic, without being sour.

These characteristics of the Menton Lemon are due to the way in which it is grown and the exceptional climate in the Menton region. The proximity of the Mediterranean Sea and the naturally protective amphitheatre off ered by

the surrounding mountains creates a land with a microclimate in which citrus fruit can fl ourish. The range of mountains to the north protect the lemon trees from wind damage, particularly when they are laden with fruit. The hillsides around Menton have a sandstone bedrock with an almost neutral pH, also adding to the benefi cial properties of the Menton Lemon. The tangy taste of the fruit, with no trace of bitterness, is enhanced by the humidity of the atmosphere (which is similar to that found in a tropical climate), the mild, salty sea breezes and the moderate diff erence in temperature between day and night all play their part in limiting the build-up of sugar in the lemons. The relatively cold temperatures which occur in Menton between mid-January and the start of February also are important for the fruit’s rich colour, quality of taste and storage. Nurtured by short periods of rain, preserved by mists during the hottest periods of the summer and enjoying signifi cant sunshine throughout the year, the Menton Lemon is not just a miracle of nature, but also an exceptional fruit, extremely popular with the top Michelin-starred chefs, including Joël Garaut, Honorary President of the ‘Association pour la promotion du Citron de Menton (APCM)’ (Association for the promotion of the Menton Lemon). The future is looking bright thanks to the award of a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) accreditation in 2015.

Did you know ?

The Menton Lemon’s defi ned geographical area includes the historic presence of the lemon trees, the old orchards needing renovation and the terraces, which will support its recovery.

HOW DO YOU RECOGNISE A GENUINE MENTON LEMON ?

The Lemons were wrapped in tissue paper before they started off on long journeys across Europe, sometimes even to America. This was to ensure that they arrived in these distant lands in peak condition and were completely yellow and well-rounded.

It was all too good to last ! I don’t want to talk about sad times, but things started to become diffi cult during the 19thcentury. With the arrival of tourism in the second half of the century when Menton became French-owned, the beautiful gardens where my ancestors were born were slowly replaced, season after season, by rich villas and sumptuous hotels. Of course, Lemons were still everywhere - on tourist posters for the

Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée railway, on the artistic pieces created by the great Menton ceramicists, on the tables of overwintering visitors, etc. But, the golden era had come to an end. The terrible winter of 1956 sounded the fi nal death knell for my family’s fortunes. The ups and downs of the Lemon family, or the Menton Lemon version of the novel ‘The Leopard’ !

I am, however, a natural optimist ! I do belong, after all, to a family whose high levels of vitamin C result in lots of energy. So, for several years now, I have been fi ghting alongside a band of enthusiasts for the Menton Lemon to be revived and to make its rich history, which I have just quickly outlined, more well-known.

‘Menton will be surrounded by lemon trees once again. ‘ This is how Jean-Claude Guibal, the Deputy Mayor of Menton envisages the town in about twenty years’ time. Although the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) accreditation is the result of a long process of recognition, the story of the Menton Lemon in modern times has only just begun.

The PGI that the Menton Lemon enjoys is based on strict specifi cations developed by the ‘Association pour la promotion du Citron de Menton (APCM)’ (Association for the promotion of the Menton Lemon). In order to gain the right to use the accreditation, which is a guarantee of reliability and quality, every producer will have to comply with these specifi cations and respect the specifi c cultivation practices involved (size of the trees, density of the fruit, maintenance and irrigation of the plots, sustainable fertilisation and certifi cation of plants).

Although the regulations are very great in number, they are necessary to standardise production and promote the golden fruit. Up until now, production has been 150 to 200 tonnes a year,

with an anticipated boom in demand in years to come. This is why the APCM, with the backing of the communes, is encouraging landowners to replant lemon trees using subsidies or upgrading the plots. An accurate survey has been carried for several years already. Even though there are many restrictions, the Association is there to help anyone who wants to get involved - be they experts or just individuals ! This is illustrated by the Esatitude centre in Menton, which employs adults with disabilities to look after an orchard of 200 lemon trees.

Alongside the revival in production - due to be continued in Menton’s next ‘Plan Local d’Urbanisme’ (PLU) (local urban planning scheme), with Jean-Claude Guibal announcing that “Non building land suitable for agriculture will be dedicated to responsible farming with a sense of identity” - a promotional campaign has been prepared for several months now. In order to make the most of the Menton Lemon’s PGI accreditation, the town centre, concerned largely with the use of its name, is planning a marketing campaign that will be equal to the golden fruit’s new international reputation.

Did you know ?

Lemons are also grown in the town itself in the grounds of Casetta à Garavan and the garden of the Palais de Carnolès.

NOW WE HAVE THE PGI, EVERYTHING CAN GET STARTED !