Facing the sun to catch its rays, the white pillars, and walls of the unique "Limonaie", the lemon gardens, still stand out along the lake shore. There are only traces of them on the lake between Gargnano and Limone, evidence of a glorious past.

In 1995, the Municipal Administration purchased the "Limonaia del Castèl" with the intention of enhancing this heritage, restructuring it, and putting it back into use, planting over a hundred citrus trees, restoring the terracing and the irrigation system, and arranging the tool sheds, which have also become an educational trail.

To facilitate access to the Limonaia, ceramic tiles have been placed on the streets in the center.

To the north-west of the historic center, leaning against the rocks of the Mughéra, the Limonaia del Castèl is now only part of the large production structure that once reached the Màndola valley from the Mura valley, Pozze Street and Castello Street. The garden, which has a surface area of 1,633 square meters, is divided perpendicularly into two parts by the cùen dela Marches'àna, on which the main casèl is built, with several floors: in the southern part, it extends for a stretch on a single còla, for another on three; in the northern part it extends on four còles, which border northwards with the valèt del Castèl, on which another small casèl is built.

Its construction dates to the early 18th century. It is clear, however, that the lemon house has undergone various alterations over time. The date "15 April 1786", still visible in a water collection well, could refer to the construction or adaptation of the channels in the còle. Other interventions were carried out to raise and move pillars, to raise the walls and to increase the walking surface and the number of floors of the cas'èl. The Limonaia passed from the Amadei family to the Bertoni and Patuzzi families and, in the 19th century, to the Girardi and Polidoro families. On 19 June 1926, the deed was bought by Giuseppe Segala (1889-1975), who had returned to Limone from America after years of hard work as a miner. Four building works were carried out: the first in 1997 for the construction of a wall, the replacement of sparadòs and cantér and the cleaning of the còle; the second in 1999 for the reconstruction of the roof of a cas'èl; the third in 2002-03, thanks to a specific contribution from the Lombardy Region under the "2000-2006 Rural Development Plan", for the conservative restoration of two casèi and two còle. In the winter of 2006-2007, with funds from the Municipal Administration, the works on the casèi/entrance building and the lower terrace were completed. The central cas'èl serves as a link between the terraces and is equipped as a museum-didactic center. In all the còle there are canals for irrigating the plants; the water came from the San Giovanni stream through the Calmèta conduit, which dates to the early 18th century. In the Limonaia, inaugurated on 22 July 2004, about a hundred citrus fruits are grown (citrons, lemons, sweet and bitter oranges, chinottos, grapefruits, mandarins and kumquats).

  • Entrance €2.00
    Free admission for children up to 10 years
    Contribution for the maintenance and enhancement of the Limonaia.

  • Opening Hours 2024:
    From 08.01 to 01.03 closed
    From 02.03 to 21.03 open on Saturdays and Sundays, free admission
    From 22.03 to 31.05 open every day from 10 am to 6 pm
    From 01.06 to 30.09 open every day from 10 am to 10 pm
    From 01.10 to 31.10 open every day from 10 am to 6 pm

For further information, or to book guided tours, please contact the Town Hall office during office hours at 0365 954008.