18. Roncoletta of Labico

Labico peas, also known as 'Roncolette Labicane' due to their curved shape (a 'roncola' in fact), are an ancient and traditional product. Since ancient times, the pea required laborious cultivation: it was sown in small vegetable gardens supporting the plant with the infrascatura technique, i.e. the use of wooden supports, so that the Labico landscape was characterised by small vegetable gardens. The production of Roncoletta gained great notoriety at the beginning of the 20th century, so much so that in the 1930s this area was the subject, under the fascist regime, of experiments to increase its productivity. In those years, the traditional Sagra dei Piselli (Pea Festival) also developed: in June, a parade of floats decorated for the occasion was held, involving the entire population of the village. Later, with the progressive urbanisation of the rural population, the laborious cultivation of Roncoletta also slowly disappeared. Today, a process of recovery is underway and the seeds of the Labico pea have resumed being cultivated in the vegetable gardens of Labico. Sowing takes place on the volcanic soil between November and February, placing the seeds belonging to local dwarf pea ecotypes of the Verdone, Scarafone and Ortolano varieties in the furrows and covering them with a thin layer of soil. The technique of 'infrascatura' is still used today, allowing these leguminous plants, whose branches climb on wooden supports, to reach a height of about 50 centimetres. The 'scalar' harvest is carried out in June, cutting the pod from top to bottom and when the seed is ripe enough.