59. Rascino lentil of Fiamignano

The first cultivation of lentils on the Rascino Plateau dates back, according to historical records, to the 13th century, but there are those who support the hypothesis that such cultivation was already practised in Roman times. For centuries, it was traded with wheat or other products. A certain source can be found in official writings from 1929 where the Rascino lentil is included in the area of the Catasto Agrario del Regno. The cultivation of lentils in this area is strongly linked to sheep farming: during the transhumance from the mountain pastures to those of the Roman countryside, shepherds would take some lentils with them to cultivate during the summer. The legume is easily recognisable by the small size of the seed, which is brown in colour with a few speckles and reddish hues. Every year, in August, the Sagra della Lenticchia di Rascino (Rascino Lentil Festival) is held in the municipality of Fiamignano.