At Menton's annual Fête du Citron, 400 people design, create and build ten 30-foot-tall sculptures of fruit with 140 tons of lemons and oranges. See more from the festival here.
There’s a local fable in the French Riviera that when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, Eve took a lemon with her and buried in the spot that would become Menton. Whether or not you believe the myth, citrus fruit is at the heart of this French seaside town, leaving it awash in golden hues.
Menton sits on the Italian border between the Alpes Maritimes and the Mediterranean, and its valley benefits from a unique microclimate that’s a few degrees warmer than the rest of the Côte d'Azur. Since the 15th century, the town’s residents have grown citrus trees. Although the region is home to 100 different varieties of fruit, from kumquats to grapefruit, Mentonnais take special pride in their three lemon varietals: Santa Theresa, Villafranca, and Eureka.
The otherwise humble town wears its devotion to citrus on its streets, and in every restaurant. Visitors can expect to savor citrus jams at breakfast, take limoncello shots at the end of dinner, and walk the streets with lemon gelato in hand.
Typically, the festival winds down in early March just as the town begins to plan the following year’s festivities. Of course, Menton usually sells the oranges and lemons at a steep discount just before spring. Even in a town where citrus is everywhere, there are still happy buyers.
The sculptures are a key part of the festival’s parades, which also include dancers to honor each celebratory tradition from around the world.Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
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