Campanino
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Campanino (; in the
Emilian dialect Emilian (Reggiano, Parmigiano dialect, Parmesan and Modenese: ; Bolognese dialect, Bolognese: ; Piacentino: ; ) is a Gallo-Italic languages, Gallo-Italic Standard language, unstandardised language spoken in the historical region of Emilia (re ...
Mirandolese , ), also known as , , or , , is a
variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
of the domestic apple. Thanks to its long shelf life, the has been popular not only in Italy but also in export to countries such as Germany. Campanino apples are included in the list of Italian traditional foodstuffs ( – PAT) from the
Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
region, and in the Emilia-Romagna Regional Voluntary Database of Agricultural Genetic Resources (code RER V019). The ''cultivar'' is also widespread in the
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
region, where it is called ''campanìn'' (code GM27) or ''Modena apple'' (code GM47).


History

The ancient origins of this variety are not known. An early reference was in 1751 when Francesco Argelati from
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
described the character of Bartolomea Gualandi as In 1815, Italian pomologist
Georges Gallesio (in English and French sources Georges Gallesio, 23 May 1772 – 30 November 1839) was an Italian botanist and researcher of the 18th and 19th centuries, specializing in citrus. His famous book was first printed in 1811 and reprinted in 1826 du ...
described a seedling found in the
province of Modena The province of Modena () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena. It has an area of and a total population of about 701,000 (2015). There are 48 ''comuni'' (: ''comune'') in th ...
as "Modena apple". In 1877 historian Don Felice Ceretti from
Mirandola Mirandola (Emilian language#Dialects, Mirandolese: ) is a city and ''comune'' of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in the Province of Modena, northeast of the Modena, provincial capital by railway. History Mirandola originated as a Renaissance Defensiv ...
, published an article in a local periodical in which he spoke about "apples called which are widely stocked in autumn and transported to
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
and other cities". After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, cultivation of apples decreased in favour of other varieties that are more productive, easier to grow, and more appreciated by consumers. Historian Vilmo Cappi (1918–2013) wrote that the apple was disappearing because it was being replaced by more commercial varieties and types of apples. There are still those, however, who prefer the fruit since it can last all winter long with its fragrance kept intact while its clean and white pulp looks like
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
.


Description

The fruits of the apple tree are small, usually symmetrical, and usually spheroidal (about in diameter by in height), with a weight of about . The skin is thick and not very waxy, of a yellow-green colour which becomes red-green when the fruit is exposed to sunlight. The flesh is greenish-white, very firm, and sugary. It is also aromatic and slightly acidic. A scientific study carried out by the
University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...
on characteristics of five ancient varieties of apple highlighted Campanino's qualities. It contains high amounts of
antioxidants Antioxidants are Chemical compound, compounds that inhibit Redox, oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce Radical (chemistry), free radicals. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Antioxidants ...
(up to four times more than ''
Golden Delicious Golden Delicious is a cultivar of apple. It is one of the 15 most popular apple cultivars in the United States. It is not closely related to Red Delicious. History Golden Delicious arose from a chance seedling, possibly a hybrid of Grimes ...
'' apples), high content of
pectin Pectin ( ': "congealed" and "curdled") is a heteropolysaccharide, a structural polymer contained in the primary lamella, in the middle lamella, and in the cell walls of terrestrial plants. The principal chemical component of pectin is galact ...
and
polyphenols Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring phenols. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some of which have been used historically as ...
, as well as
ascorbic acid Ascorbic acid is an organic compound with formula , originally called hexuronic acid. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves freely in water to give mildly acidic solutions. It is a mild reducing agent. Asco ...
(vitamin C). The flowering season occurs in April–May, and the apple can be harvested for about a month from the beginning of October. Matured ''Campaninas'' have red skin colouration especially after they have been exposed to the sun for 5–7 days: for this reason Campanina apple is also called as the " Annurca apple of Northern Italy". Unlike other varieties, apples can be easily preserved for six months without any use of refrigeration. This characteristic has allowed the survival of Campanino variety until today.


Growing area

The apple growing area is located in the
Northeast Italy Northeast Italy ( or just ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica, National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a Italian NUTS level 1 regions, first level NUTS region and a European ...
, in the provinces of
Ferrara Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main ...
,
Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
,
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
,
Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...
and
Rovigo Rovigo (, ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune in the region of Veneto, Northeast Italy, the capital of the province of Rovigo, eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Veni ...
. The variety is also widespread in the
province of Venice The province of Venice () was a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Venice. It had an area of 2,467 km2, and a total population of 836,916 (2021). The province became the Metropolitan City of Venice by 1 Janu ...
, where it is known as "''Modenese'' apple". Main municipalities where Campanino grows: *
Province of Ferrara The province of Ferrara (; ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Italy, Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Its capital is the city of Ferrara. As of May 2023, it has a population of 338,143 inhabitants over an area of . The province contains ...
: Argenta, Ferrara e Portomaggiore *
Province of Mantua The province of Mantua (; Emilian language#Dialects, Mantuan, Emilian language#Dialects, Lower Mantuan: ; Emilian language#Dialects, Upper Mantuan: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of M ...
: Carbonara di Po, Pegognaga, Poggio Rusco, Quistello, San Benedetto Po, San Giacomo delle Segnate, San Giovanni del Dosso, Roverbella, and Schivenoglia *
Province of Modena The province of Modena () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena. It has an area of and a total population of about 701,000 (2015). There are 48 ''comuni'' (: ''comune'') in th ...
: all the municipalities of
Po plain The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain (, , or ) is a major geographical feature of northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic extension not actually related t ...
*
Province of Reggio Emilia The province of Reggio Emilia (; Emilian: ''pruvînsa ed Rèz'') is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The capital city, which is the most densely populated ''comune'' (municipality) in the province, is Reggio Emilia. It has an ...
: Bagnolo in Piano, Campagnola Emilia, Correggio, Fabbrico, Novellara, Reggio Emilia, Rio Saliceto, Rolo, and San Martino in Rio *
Province of Rovigo The province of Rovigo () is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rovigo. It borders on the north with the provinces of Verona, Padua and Venice, on the south with the province of Ferrara, on the west with the provi ...
: Adria, Badia Polesine, Canaro, Costa di Rovigo, Crespino, Lendinara, Rovigo, San Martino di Venezze, and Trecenta *
Province of Venice The province of Venice () was a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Venice. It had an area of 2,467 km2, and a total population of 836,916 (2021). The province became the Metropolitan City of Venice by 1 Janu ...
: Dolo, Fossalta, Jesolo, Mira, Mirano, Noale, Portogruaro, Salzano, Scorzè, and Venice


Use

Campanino is often used as a
cooking apple A cooking apple or culinary apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking, as opposed to a '' dessert apple'', which is eaten raw. Cooking apples are generally larger, and can be tarter than dessert varieties. Some varieties have a fi ...
since its flesh remains intact and compact even after cooking. It is also excellent when eaten fresh as it retains all its nutrients even months after being harvested. The Campanino apple can be eaten raw, but because of its thick skin, people prefer it for cooking, preferably in a
casserole A casserole (French language, French: diminutive of , from Provençal dialect, Provençal , meaning 'saucepan') is a kind of large, deep cookware and bakeware, pan or bowl used for cooking a variety of dishes in the oven; it is also a categor ...
with a little water, and a simple dusting of
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
, which is then
caramelized Caramelization (or caramelisation) is a process of browning of sugar used extensively in cooking for the resulting butter-like flavor and brown color. The brown colors are produced by three groups of polymers: (C24H36O18), (C36H50O25), and ...
in the oven. The apple's pulp is used to make
jam Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...
, (including ), and ''savór'', or ingredients for apple pie or pancakes. Traditional mostarda, a sweet-and-hot condiment made from Campanina apples or
quinces The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which contains apples, pears, and other fruits) of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bright golden-yell ...
, sugar and
mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...
, has been served with boiled meats as far back as the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
.


See also

*
Cooking apple A cooking apple or culinary apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking, as opposed to a '' dessert apple'', which is eaten raw. Cooking apples are generally larger, and can be tarter than dessert varieties. Some varieties have a fi ...
*
List of apple cultivars Over 7,500 cultivars of the culinary or eating apple (''Malus domestica'') are known. Some are extremely important economically as Product (business), commercial products, though the vast majority are not suitable for mass production. In the foll ...


Notes


Bibliography

* *


External links

* * * {{Apples, state=collapsed Apple cultivars Italian apples Cooking apples