Monaco’s gardeners will begin the annual harvest of bitter oranges on 12th January, collecting fruit from over 600 untreated bigarade trees across the principality through to early February.
The Direction of Urban Planning (DAU) manages nearly 1,200 citrus trees in Monaco, including oranges, lemons, clementines and bitter oranges. Every January and February, gardeners prune the various fruit trees and pick bigarades growing along streets in La Condamine, Moneghetti and Monte-Carlo.
Residents wishing to obtain bitter oranges during the harvest can approach gardeners on site. Last year, more than 15 tonnes were collected, with nearly 4.5 tonnes distributed free to the public and Lycée Rainier III, where students transformed the fruit into marmalade and fruit paste.
Harvest locations and timing
Gardeners will work from 8:00am to 2:30pm, weather permitting and subject to harvest progress. In La Condamine, the harvest runs from 12th to 23rd January on Rue Grimaldi, followed by Rue Princesse Caroline from 26th January through 6th February. Moneghetti’s Boulevard de Belgique will see collection from 19th to 30th January.
Monte-Carlo residents can find gardeners on Boulevard d’Italie from 12th to 15th January and on Avenue de Grande-Bretagne from 19th to 23rd January.
The bitter oranges, known as Seville oranges or bigarades, are prized for making marmalade due to their high pectin content and distinctive tart flavour. Unlike sweet oranges, they are too acidic to eat fresh but transform into exceptional preserves when cooked with sugar.
An exhibition titled Sur la Route des Agrumes (On the Citrus Route) is currently installed on Rue Princesse Caroline and will run through to February 2026.
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