In the midst of the green countryside of the upper Tiber, an ancient hermitage and an unusual nursery are now the site of the Parco di Archeologia Arborea (Arboreal Archaeology Park) in San Lorenzo di Lerchi, a hamlet of Città di Castello.

This unique park is a journey back in time into the archaeology and history of fruit plants. Here you can discover many varieties that are now forgotten but were once common in the Umbrian countryside, which also bore very special fruit, often in unexpected shapes and colours.

This extraordinary orchard was born from the passion and enthusiasm of its creator Isabella Dalla Ragione, an agronomist and landscape researcher who carried on the project after the death of her father Livio. The Fondazione dell'Archeologia Arborea takes care of the park as well as engaging in the rediscovery and conservation of varieties of fruit trees that are now almost forgotten. Members, who come from all over Europe, have the honour of collecting and savouring the rare and precious fruits produced by the trees. The only rule to follow is to respect an ancient local tradition, which suggests leaving three as an offering: one for the sun, one for the earth and one for the plant.

Some varieties are of such ancient origin that they are even mentioned in historical documents or depicted on ancient paintings, as evidenced by the exhibition held in 2023 and dedicated to the fruits present at the time of Luca Signorelli.

The main research work, however, took place among abandoned fields, the vegetable gardens of old convents, gardens and woods, or simply through the stories of old farmers. This is how Isabella recovered and saved more than 600 varieties of fruit trees, many with truly original popular names, such as the “pera del curato” (“curate’s pear”) and the “pera briaca” (“drunken” pear), with its unmistakable red flesh, or the “mela cul di somaro” (“donkey's butt” apple) and the “mela muso di bue” (“bull's face” apple), so called because of its elongated shape. There is no shortage of curious names for other fruits as well, such as the “fico permaloso” (“touchy” fig), which has such a thin skin that it does not want to be touched too much, or the “mandorlo mandolin” (“mandolin” almond tree) and the “uva delle vecchie” (“old women's” grapes).

Archeologia Arborea has also attracted important personalities such as the actor Gérard Depardieu, who has adopted the “pera briaca”, the journalist John Seabrook of the New Yorker the “mela roggia” (“rusty” apple), while Bill Pullman, star of the film Independence Day who actively collaborates with Archeologia Arborea, has adopted the “mela Fiorentina” (Florentine apple).