L'Aquila Saffron D.O.P.

The tradition of saffron in Abruzzo dates back to the Roman times. Mentions about it are found in Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”, writer and poet of ancient Rome who was born in Sulmona in 43 b.C. During the period of the Roman Empire, nobles used to spend their summer holidays at Fucino lake, where the microclimate surrounding the area was particularly advantageous for wheat, olive tree and saffron cultivations. Saffron became synonym of luxury, as it was used also for scenting the temples during religious ceremonies and making love potions, since it was considered aphrodisiac. At the beginning of 1300, after a tough period, saffron became an important source of wealth for the city of L’Aquila and nearby territories, as the cultivation area was very vast, including the municipalities of San Demetrio ne’ Vestini, Magliano de’ Marsi and Sulmona. Rustichella d’Abruzzo is proud to offer its estimators from 70 Countries in the world the best “red gold” of the Abruzzo region.