The museum-garden of ancient apple trees was born in Castel del Giudice

- The Noah's Ark of all the typical apples of Abruzzo and Molise is located in Castel del Giudice, a small mountain village in the province of Isernia.

About seventy varieties of vintage apples from Alto Sangro Molise and Abruzzo, mostly forgotten or produced in very few specimens and therefore destined for self-consumption and local markets, remain as a dowry to the "Garden of ancient apple trees" by the will of Ermanno D'Andrea, Molise Doc is one of the Italian masters of high-precision mechanical components, who, together with the award-winning mayor of Castel del Giudice Lino Gentile, has made this corner of Upper Molise a successful model of the Green economy and organic agriculture.

After the meticulous architectural recovery of rural buildings that gave life to the widespread hotel in Borgotufi, which is selling out until mid-September, and the opening of a second plant of the family mechanical company, D'Andrea has also the role of agricultural entrepreneur constituting Melise Bio which produces four typical varieties of apples destined for the local market and then creates the garden-museum with all the biodiversity heritage in these lands at the foot of the Majella Park. "Biological and genetic diversity - he underlines - constitutes a reserve of genes to be used in programs of improvement and crop adaptation to the climate changes underway. Alto Molise, for the integrity of a large part of its territory, is equipped with a priceless arboreal heritage, both spontaneous and cultivated since ancient times. Today these "natural monuments", often overwhelmed by the consumerist fashion that homologates the purchasing choices, are ignored in the human diet and risk extinction. The Garden of Apple trees, created by the Municipality of Castel del Giudice and the Melise company with the advice of the Arca Sannita association, aims - he specifies - the conservation of the genetic material and the dissemination and enhancement of every use of the fruit, to keep it up to date with the needs of the business and modern eating styles ".

Also popular are a dozen didactic hives, adjacent to the museum-garden of the apple trees, where, as told by the mayor Gentile, about thirty young aspiring beekeepers have been trained who will now receive support and advice for access to credit, as well as in logistics and technical assistance for honey production.

Furthermore, the debut of "Malto Lento", an agricultural beer from Alto Molise with part of the self-produced hops and the use of exclusively Made In Molise malt, is imminent. A selected variety will become the "Birra del Borgotufi". (HANDLE).