Forgotten Fruits Revived: Agronomist Preserves Italy's Agricultural Heritage

As of November 14th, 2025, Isabella Dalla Ragione, a 68-year-old Italian agronomist, has dedicated her life to preserving her country's agricultural heritage by hunting for forgotten fruit varieties. Dalla Ragione's non-profit organization, Archeologia Arborea, has amassed a collection of over 150 resilient apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach, and almond varieties grown using traditional methods.

These heirloom fruits, often depicted in Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child, are more resistant to the climate shifts and extremes increasingly seen in the southern Mediterranean region. Dalla Ragione seeks out descriptions of these bygone local fruits in centuries-old diaries and farming documents, then sets out to rediscover them. One of her prized finds is the small, round Florentine pear, which she had read about in 16th-century records but believed to be lost until she stumbled upon a tree in the mountains between Umbria and Marche 15 years ago.

Experts say Dalla Ragione's work is "urgent" as preserving this genetic diversity is key to adapting to climate change. While Italy is a major fruit producer, just five modern varieties, none of which are Italian, now account for over 80% of the country's pear output. Dalla Ragione hopes to create new resilient varieties by crossing these heirloom fruits with modern ones, ensuring food security and the land's ability to respond to future challenges.