The history of vegetable and flower crops in Italy

The history of vegetable and floriculture crops in Italy has ancient roots, coinciding with the birth of the Roman hortus, a small space devoted to horticultural plants near homes. The Romans held vegetable crops in high regard; Columella in ‘De re rustica’ places vegetable crops in terms of economic importance, after the cultivation of vines and olive trees. Interesting indications for the cultivation of vegetable plants can be found in Varro and Pliny the Elder. A special area within the Roman Forum was reserved for the sale of vegetable products (‘forum olitorium’). During the Renaissance era, significant development of vegetable and flower crops was observed. One of the first printed floriculture manuals was Italian: Flora: seu De florum cultura, written by G.B. Ferrari, in 1633. The first genetic contributions to crop improvement were those related to floriculture. The role of vegetable crops in Italy has been such that the term ‘horticulture = orticoltura’, unlike other European languages, refers only to vegetable plants. Italy has made a fundamental contribution to the development of some crops (Brassicaceae, artichoke) originating in the Mediterranean area, but also in identifying new ways of using plants (tomato, green bean) from other countries. This means that the heritage of traditional landraces is extremely broad; the numerous vegetable landraces were often identified by the names of the countries where they were cultivated (e.g., Naples, Macerata, Catania). Despite their wide diversity, vegetables have been considered a ‘poor food’ for a long time, devoted to poor people, because of their easy availability and low caloric apport. Recently, the role of the Mediterranean diet and vegetable products has been emphasized. For a long time, ornamental gardens have been the place of cut flower production, but intensive floriculture developed at the end of the 19th century thanks to improvements in transportation. This development intensified after World War II.