Marrone di Castel del Rio

Marrone di Castel del Rio is a PGI-protected chestnut produced in four communes of the Santerno valley in the Bologna Apennines. The nuts are medium-large in size, normally not more than 90 nuts per kilogram, prevalently ellipsoidal in shape, and bear a single seed with white, crisp, pleasantly sweet-flavoured flesh whose surface is almost entirely without grooves.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI on 2 July 1996 under file number PGI-IT-1523 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013400), Marrone di Castel del Rio is produced within the communes of Castel del Rio, Fontanelice, Casal Fiumanese, and Borgo Tossignano. The specification requires that chestnut groves be situated at an altitude between 200 and 800 metres above sea level, with a planting density of between 75 and 125 trees per hectare. The maximum allowable unitary yield is 1,500 kg per hectare. All forcing practices, all use of chemical fertilizers, and the use of pesticides during the productive stage are prohibited. Any preserving of the marron for the purpose of extending the marketing period must be carried out according to traditional methods, and the use of chemical products is prohibited. The nuts are medium-large in size, normally not more than 90 nuts per kilogram, and prevalently ellipsoidal in shape. The single seed has white, crisp, pleasantly sweet-flavoured flesh with a surface almost entirely without grooves. Packaging must consist of sealed sacks of suitable material in 1, 2, 5, and 10 kg sizes, printed with the designation's logo. The competent control body is the Ministero delle Risorse Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali, which may avail itself of the Consorzio Castanicoltori di Castel del Rio.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 2 July 1996 under file number PGI-IT-1523, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013400.
• The specification prohibits all forcing practices, chemical fertilizers, and pesticide use during the productive stage.
• Groves must be situated at an altitude between 200 and 800 metres above sea level, with 75 to 125 trees per hectare.
• The maximum allowable unitary yield is 1,500 kg per hectare, and nuts normally number no more than 90 per kilogram.

Tasting notes

Emilian chestnut from Imola hills (Bologna province), large shape, sweet flesh.

HoReCa use

Caldarroste, candied preparations, and use in Emilian autumn cuisine.

Packaging

• crate-10kg
• crate-15kg
• vacuum-pack-cooked-500g

Seasonality