Among the charred remains of the Etruscan room of a 6th century craftsman a fragment of honeycomb and the remains of a bee attached to a piece of silver fir have been discovered at the archaeological site in Forcello: a sure sign that the room once contained a beehive for honey production.
Honey is a substance produced by bees through the collection of flower nectar, or the sap of different plant species, accumulated on plants and flowers (what is known as honeydew). The worker bees 
forage and collect these sugar solutions during their flights in search of food and contact with plants, storing them 
in the honey sac and transferring them later to other bees in the hive, who then insert them into the honeycombs. The liquid nectar undergoes a series of chemical transformations, enriched by enzymes produced by bees and undergoing significant water loss. After
being sealed with beeswax, it is left to mature until it is ready for extraction from the combs. The nectars make the honey unique, and they depend on the flowering plants and flowers 
that the bees are drawn to, and also 
by seasonal rainfall.
There is a forest at Corte Bancare (Borgofranco sul Po) with a high concentration of wild and local lime, and it is the heart of the ApeTilia project, dedicated to spreading beekeeping and honey production through the area. The project includes the construction of a multimedia museum dedicated to bees, honey and products derived from the lime tree.
plant: Brassica napus, herbaceous plant
bloom: From March to October
characteristics: Crystallises very quickly, forming a pasty mass of fine crystals
smell and taste: Intense, characteristic of the plant of origin
plant: Helianthus annuus, sunflower
bloom: From July to October
characteristics: Covered with small drops of yellow oil, which gives its brilliant colour
smell: Delicate fragrances of pollen, freshly cut hay
taste: Fruity and intense with clear sour notes
plant: Medicago sativa, alfalfa, lucerne, perennial forage
bloom: from May to September
smell: Scent of freshly cut grass and wet hay
taste: Medium-sweet notes reminiscent of cooked milk, grape must with a slight acidity and subtle vegetal aromas
plant: Tilia Cordata and Tilia platyphyllos, small and large-leaved Lime
bloom: From June to July
characteristics: Delayed crystallisation gives rise to large and irregular crystals
smell: Medium-strong intensity, fresh, minty, balsamic, medicinal
taste: sweet and fresh
plant: Taraxacum officinale
bloom: From March to November
characteristics: High glucose content
smell: Pungent smell of sulfur, ammonia and vinegar, with hints of hay
taste: Medium-sweet on the palate, vanilla with a definite hint of camomile tea
plant: Combinations of nectars from different botanical species in the area (around 6,000)
bloom: Between spring and summer
characteristics: The spring blooms are blonde, summer ones are amber
smell: Menthol, tannins, vanilla, caramel
site based on the book:
The taste of exploring the Oltrepò Mantovano
