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THE SCRIVIA VALLEY ROSE The rose has always been the symbol of beauty, of life, of love. From time immemorial, it colors our gardens and our homes, giving us extraordinary emotions with its charming blooms. It’s strong, but also soft; it’s tough, yet tender; it’s thorny, but at the same time velvety: it’s is the queen of flowers, perfect to decorate any room, but also precious for its extraordinary officinal and cosmetic properties. Besides its beauty and fragrance, this extraordinary flower boasts important beneficial properties that boosted its use in pharmacopoeia. For instance, the ancient use of rose syrup as a mild laxative and cleansing or of rose water to perfume and purify places and hands. During the various plagues that occurred over the centuries, it was recommended to give rose extract in different forms to the sick; it was also suggested to hang sheets soaked in vinegar and rose water on the walls of the quarantine hospitals, and to visitors to bring a bag soaked in rose water, for protection against the “corrupted air”. The cosmetic use of roses has a long tradition too: since ancient times they have been used in scented waters (like rose water), massage oils and creams, as this flower is a true blessing for sensitive, dry and brittle skin. For the Tesori di Liguria line, Ardes used a precious extract of Rosa Rugosa from the Scrivia valley. In this pleasant valley located behind the city of Genoa, stretching along the springs and the upper course of the river Scrivia, the cultivation of the rose is an ancient tradition which dates back to 1600. At that time, Genoa was one of the most important and prestigious ports the Mediterranean sea, in direct contact with countries such as Morocco, Turkey and Bulgaria. The first roses came precisely from those areas, and quickly spread within the Scrivia valley (a crossroads for the passage of goods from the port of Genoa towards Northern Italy), where they found a favorable microclimate and soil for their growth. Roses weren’t considered ornamental only, but also, and most of all, as food: they were primarily used for the production of rose syrup, considered a cureall product, as well as a pleasant beverage to be consumed fresh in summer and warm in winter. Amongst the main varieties of rose grown in the Scrivia valley, there was the Rosa Rugosa, an ancient plant, spontaneous mutation of the Rosa Centifolia, characterized by strongly marked veins on the leaves. It can reach 60 centimeters of height and has the characteristic of being formed by a perennial woody shrub, sturdy and erect branches, covered by thin thorns and leaves, mostly obovate and with a serrated edge. The flowers have colors ranging from pink to purple-red, and rarely white. The fruits are red, globous, smooth rose hips with persistent sepals. The Rosa Rugosa was in danger of extinction until a few years ago, when in 2000 it was revalued thanks to the association “Le rose della Valle Scrivia”, created by a small group of farms within the valley with the help of the Valli d’Antola Park and the Province of Genoa in order to recover the old plants and start a project to propagate and plant new crops. This tenacious flower, besides being a valuable ingredient of delicious syrups and jams, is a true ally of beauty: rich in antioxidant, softening, soothing and moisturizing, thanks to the content of flavonoids, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tannins, carotenoids. The production takes place in environmentally pristine areas, and the plants are grown in a completely natural way, without the use of chemicals.(http:// rosevallescrivia.altervista.org/index.html) This is possible thanks to the specific characteristics of this type of rose, particularly resistant to disease and pest attacks. Petals are harvested from May to early June, when the corolla is wide open, and are transformed into a glyceric extract that maintains the biochemical balance of the plant, while preserving the effectiveness of the active ingredients it contains.