The annual bitter orange harvest

©Direction de la Communication / Manuel Vitali

Gardeners from the Department of Urban Amenities (DAU) are about to start the annual harvest of the Principality's bitter orange trees.

The Principality has 1,011 citrus trees (orange, lemon, clementine, etc.), including 580 untreated bitter orange trees (December 2023 census).

From January to February each year, DAU gardeners prune the various fruit trees and pick the bigarades (bitter oranges) that grow on the trees lining the various streets of the Condamine, Moneghetti and Monte-Carlo districts.

As in previous years, anyone wishing to pick bigarades during this annual harvest should contact the gardeners on site.

In 2023, 2.33 tonnes of the harvest, out of a total of around 8.24 tonnes, were distributed free of charge to the local population and to the Rainier III High School for processing into jam and fruit paste.

Gardeners will be picking the bitter oranges according to the following schedule:

(* from 8am to 12pm and from 2pm to 3.30pm, subject to weather conditions and harvest progress)

- Condamine:

From 29 January to 10 February: Rue Princesse Caroline

From 15 to 26 January: Rue Grimaldi

- Moneghetti:

From 15 to 26 January: Boulevard de Belgique                                   

- Monte-Carlo:

From 8 to 19 January: Avenue de Grande Bretagne

From 22 to 26 January: Boulevard de Suisse

From 29 January to 2 February: Boulevard d'Italie

For further information contact: The Department of Urban Amenities - +377 98 98 22 77/  amenagement@gouv.mc