Rustichella d'Abruzzo

The tradition of saffron in Abruzzo dates back to Roman times. Quotations can be found in “The Metamorphoses” by Ovid, writer and poet of ancient Rome born in Sulmona in 43 BC. During the Roman Empire the Fucino lake was the destination of the Roman nobles who spent their summer holidays there, thanks also to the particular microclimate that surrounded the entire area and that allowed the cultivation of wheat, olive trees and saffron. The latter became synonymous with luxury, being also used to perfume temples during religious ceremonies and to create love potions as it is considered aphrodisiac. At the beginning of 1300, after a period of difficulty, Saffron became an important source of wealth for the city of L’Aquila and the neighboring territories, the municipalities of San Demetrio ne ‘Vestini, Magliano de’ Marsi and Sulmona, being the area of very extensive crops. Rustichella d ‘Abruzzo is proud to offer its admirers in 70 countries around the world the best “red gold” of the land of Abruzzo.