The fleets of the Amalfi sailors were always full of this precious citrus; its export had a further significant increase in the centuries from 1400 to 1800, as it was used by foreign populations in the fight against scurvy, a disease that affected people who had a deficiency of ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, of ??which ...

The Amalfi Coast is famous for its lemons because of a specific, superior variety called the Sfusato Amalfitano, which has been cultivated on the region's steep terraced hillsides for over a thousand years. Unlike standard supermarket lemons, the Sfusato is nearly double the size, has a thick, knobby skin rich in essential oils, and features a surprisingly sweet, edible pith with very few seeds. Historically, the cultivation of these lemons became vital in the 11th century when the Maritime Republic of Amalfi discovered that their high Vitamin C content was a cure for scurvy among sailors. This led to the creation of the iconic "lemon gardens"—terraced orchards supported by dry-stone walls—that now define the UNESCO-listed landscape. These lemons are the soul of the region's gastronomy, used for everything from "lemon salad" (shaved lemons with salt and olive oil) to the world-famous Limoncello liqueur. In 2026, the "Limone Costa d'Amalfi IGP" status protects the brand, ensuring that only lemons grown in this specific volcanic soil and salty sea air can carry the prestigious name, maintaining a tradition of "heroic agriculture" on the vertical cliffs.