The chestnut tree has always been cultivated in the Feltrino area, in the lower part of the province of Belluno. The wild chestnut grows naturally in these woods, but the locals have “domesticated” the plant with grafting and transformed it into majestic moronér, enabling the cultivation of the nobler marron along with the chestnut. The chestnut groves continued to thrive as long as the woods were cared for, but since the early 1900s, maize farming and the abandonment of the land have heavily impacted the growth of chestnut and marron plants.
The “Morone” and Chestnut of Feltrino Protection Consortium was established in 1996 for the preservation of the surviving plants and for the maintenance and development of the cultivation through the renewed passion of some locals.
About a hundred members of the Consortium tend to the chestnut groves by cleaning the woods, pruning, grafting, and enhancing the local product.
Today, 460 Moroni plants have been recovered, including ancient trees, along with 282 young plants. Currently, efforts are also being made to restore the Chestnut plants for the renowned flour.
