tH
# 78 APRIL 18 , 2016
tells of birds that supposedly dropped seeds of
this special chicory on the
bell tower of the village of
Dosson di Casier, at the
gates of Treviso, which
were then found by friars
who lovingly cared for and
cultivated them.
Others believe that the
bleaching technique and,
thus, the possibility of
transforming a simple, bitter chicory into tasty radicchio, is due to a precise
historical event: the arrival
of Francis Van De Borre,
a nurseryman who came
from Belgium in 1870 to
create an English garden
at Villa Palazzi in Treviso,
who is supposed to have
talked about the bleaching of Belgian chicory.
spring water available in
the Treviso area, the farmers then introduced this
essential element in the
production process.
vegetable that symbolizes
the Treviso and Veneto
area.
However, the only true historical comes from the
first radicchio show, which
took place under the loggia of the Palazzo dei Trecento in Treviso on 20 December 1900, organized
by Giuseppe Benzi, the
While many others believe
head of the Treviso Agrathat the special “forcing”
rian Association.
technique originated from
the farmers' need to preSo, if radicchio could
serve the chicory harvehave been cultivated like
sted from the fields from
chicory since the Renaisthe winter frost. When
sance, it was only in the
transferred to the warmth
second half of the 19th
of the stables, rather than
that, along with vegetable
rotting completely, the
growing, this very partiplant preserved heats with
cular production process
a good, crisp taste.
was established, resulting
in a product that was so
Since there was abundant
successful it became the
Good agricultural practice requires a three-year
crop rotation (i.e., a field
grows radicchio for two
years, followed by a cereal
such as barley and wheat)
to preserve the valuable
crops from harmful insects
and mould.
Production
After fertilization with
plenty of natural organic matter, the surface is
ploughed, harrowed and
milled. After 1st July, the
seeds are planted, especially in the nursery, during a waning moon.
From July 20 until the middle of August, the seedlings are planted in the open
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