For the local farmers, chestnut-growing has represented for centuries an important economic resource. The first historical references on chestnut cultivation, in fact, trace back to the Middle Ages. Written testimonies of the cultivation of the Marron of San Zeno are found in the XIIIth, XIVth, XVIIth and XIXth century in which the characteristic areas of production are identified with descriptions of the prosperous development of the chestnuts, the harvesting methods and commercialization of the marrons in weekly markets, a tradition that was revived after the Second World War. The chestnut represented the staple food in the diet of the mountain dwellers to be eaten fresh, processed like flour (to make bread or polenta), cooked (under embers, boiled or roasted). But not only: chestnuts provided an important resource also for feeding pigs. They were fed the lower quality chestnuts which, however, gave a particularly pleasant taste to the meat. Marrons were being sold since the XIXth century, directly, at the weekly market of Caprino Veronese, or that of Verona and, subsequently, through retailers. And so it continued until the nineties: marrons were being sold to retailers at a low cost or directly at the annual Festa delle Castagne (Chestnut Fete). It was in the early twenties in fact that the municipality of San Zeno di Montagna started the traditional festival of the marron, which has reached us through the generations and is now known as "Mostra Mercato del Marrone".

FESTIVAL
The "Mostra Mercato del Marrone" takes place every year during the period of the chestnut harvest, between the end of October and the beginning of November. A feature of this event is the Tasting Market where one can taste the Marron of San Zeno P.D.O. in all its many versions, matched with a glass of excellent local wine. Within the festival are a number of events such as the "Marron d'Oro" (the Golden Marron) an award given to the best amongst the producers of the Consortium for the protection of the Marron of San Zeno P.D.O. and the Palio Gastronomico delle Contrade, a gastronomic competition that awards a prize for the best marron minestrone, one of the more typical and tasty ways to eat this exceptional product.