Did you ever wonder what the environs of Lake Garda used to look like? In the early Twentieth century, olives were only grown along the northern shore of our lake, in the countryside ranging between Torri and Malcesine. In this area there were countless olive groves, and to a lesser extent, apple and mulberry orchards, as well as some vineyards, which funnily enough were describes as being “oppressed by the large canopy of the olive trees, which steal all the light and moisture”. Along the southern shore of the lake, olive tree cultivation was secondary: these plants dotted the landscape, growing here and there among the vines or along the edges of ditches, together with mulberry and ash trees. Agriculture mainly focused on wheat and maize, which were grown in rotation, so as to allow the soil to rest and improve its structure and fertility. North of Lake Garda, cereal crops gave room to potatoes and beans, which were consumed entirely by the families living in the farmhouses that are still visible in this region.
