Earlier this week, gardeners from Monaco’s Urban Development Department began harvesting bitter oranges from the Principality’s citrus trees, an annual tradition that sees the fruits picked and shared with the community free of charge.
Though modern-day Monaco is more urban than rural, the Principality’s history is rooted in agriculture. For centuries—if not longer—citrus trees have flourished in its Mediterranean climate. Today, the Principality is home to more than 1,100 citrus trees, including 516 bitter orange trees, or bigaradiers as they are known in French.
Every year in January and February, a team from the Urban Development Department harvests and collects the many fruits that grow on the untreated bigaradier trees in the Condamine, Moneghetti and Monte-Carlo neighbourhoods. This annual tradition preserves a vital connection to Monaco’s agrarian past and its enduring appreciation for citrus fruits.
In 2024, the harvest yielded 11.14 tonnes of bitter oranges, with 4.45 tonnes distributed freely to residents and institutions such as Lycée Rainier III, where the fruit was turned into jams and fruit pastes. This year, as in previous years, locals can request bitter oranges directly from the gardeners during the harvest.
The 2025 harvest began on Avenue de Grande-Bretagne and Rue Princesse Caroline on 13th January and will continue until 17th and 24th January, respectively, before moving to other locations, including Boulevard d’Italie from 20th to 24th January, Boulevard de Belgique from 20th to 31st January and Rue Grimaldi from 28th January to 7th February. The gardeners will work daily from 8am to 2.30pm, depending on weather conditions and progress.
This year, a new addition enhances the event. Locals and visitors can learn more about the harvest and its historical significance through On the Citrus Route, a special exhibition on Rue Princesse Caroline that celebrates the cultural heritage of Monaco’s citrus fruits. The exhibition will remain on-site until February 2025.
For more information about the harvest or the exhibition, contact the Urban Planning Department at +377 98 98 22 77 or via email at amenagement@gouv.mc.
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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department
