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 he cultivation of cherries in the area surrounding the town of Marostica appears to date back to a distant game of "human chess". In the year 1454, two local knights asked Teddeo Parisio, governor and lord of "the noble land and castle of Marostica," if they could marry his daughter. In order to avoid a duel, Taddeo Parisio proposed that they challenge each other in a game of chess played using live pawns. The knights agreed and the result was that the winner got to marry the governor's daughter, while the governor's sister was promised to the loser. On the day of the double wedding, the governor ordered cherry trees to be planted in his lands so that future generations would always remember the fortunate event.
Each year, during the Regional Cherry Fair, which is held toward the end of May, the wedding ceremony is reenacted by the local young dressed in period costumes. The ceremony then culminates in a live chess game.
Marostica cherries are grown in a hilly territory of fertile soil rich in potash, that yields juicy fruits with a sweet, intense flavor. The heart-shaped Marostica cherries have a fiery red or dark red skin, and a firm pink or dark red pulp.
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Consorzio Cooperativo Ortofrutticolo di Mason
c/o Comune di Mason Vicentino
Via G. Marconi, 32
36064 Mason Vicentino (VI)
ITALY
phone: (+39) 0424/411784
fax: (+39) 0424/411784
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Region of
Production
IGP Map
Veneto
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