King Umberto tomato is an ancient species that dates back from the 19th century. The story tells that the name is a tribute to the Umberto I of Savoy as he was the King of Italy during his first visit to Naples in 1878.
Famous catalogues from Sgaravatti Company having been published from 1910 to 1940 considered this tomato species as a must. It is considered a species of excellence due to its intense flavour and tremendous output, thanks to healthy plants.
Unfortunately, the seeds are usually confused and mixed with another species, and they have been more and more difficult to be found due to the removal from the biodiversity register of Ense (the official body with the responsibility for controlling seeds at the time). Yet it was one of the few national tomatoes that were appreciated and grown in many parts of the world.
The King Umberto tomato was defined in the famous book 'The Vegetable Garden' by the historic French company Vilmorin-Andrieux (which was founded in the 18th century and well-known for the contribution of botany and agronomy knowledge) to have an oval shape but are flat on the sides, and grows in bunches from 5 to 10 tomatoes. In addition, the Institute of “Agronomia Generale” and “Coltivazioni erbacee”, University of Naples has performed many illustrations and they are now displayed at the Museum of the Royal Palace in Portici.
In Tramonti, Amalfi Coast, the tomato has been cultivated since the 1900s, and the seeds were spread to all 13 villages by hand. Each household had its own land used for growing this tomato, and every summer when the tomatoes reached their peak of ripeness, the farmers harvested and put them in glass jars (the term 'Fare le bottiglie' is still used nowadays, which literally means 'Do the bottles'). The products could be found in every family throughout the year. They were used to make a number of traditional dishes.
However, here in Tramonti, we have faced the decline in production over the years, mainly because of the replacement of other species. The tomato is almost forgotten, if it was not the local farmers who have guarded and donated the seeds to Acarbio in order to distribute them to those who have interest in biodiversity of the country and to start a new chapter in the tradition.
The history of the King Umberto tomato is not only symbolic but it also helps people understand without biodiversity 'guardians', many species would become extinct.
Today the King Umberto is considered a rare tomato species and preserved by some 'Seed Savers' from different countries around the world.