Arnica, hawthorn, chamomile, heather, gentian and sage: they are some of the most widespread medicinal plants in the world. Their use originates from ancient times, since the understanding of man on earth. They include all plant species (spontaneous and cultivated) that can be used as medicines, cosmetics, perfumes, liqueurs, flavourings, phytotherapy and more. A tradition still deeply felt a collepardo, home to one of the few Botanical Gardens of the Apennines, an Ecomuseum and a herbal medicine course. In recent times, they have been classified over 1200 species of herbs in this land, belonging to around 150 different families, from which, over the centuries, the monks of the nearby Trisulti Abbey have drawn useful medicines. A journey into nature that brings with it all the popular history of the past and which still preserves those ancient values, absolutely not to be missed.
Collepardo is a typical medieval village of about 900 inhabitants in lower Lazio, halfway between Frosinone and Fiuggi. Known for its caves, the Certosa di Trisulti, the Monastery of San Domenico, the Sanctuary of Cese and the Ponte dei Santi, but above all for the abundance of medicinal herbs. Since 2003 he has been awarded the Touring Club Orange Flag and thanks to the favorable naturalistic exposure, this area has an exceptional biodiversity that is unique in the world.
Stories and legends of Collepardo
The natural heritage present in the area is also the protagonist of numerous stories and legends, starting from the name. According to the most widespread hypothesis, the name is probably due to the presence in the territory of wild animals (cats or lynxes), this inspired the municipal coat of arms depicting a feline while drinking water from a stream. But there are also other theories: one of these brings the name back to the first commander of the ancient colony of Goths stationed in the area; according to another the name derives from the Latin Collis arduis (impervious hill) through a hypothetical intermediate form Collis pardis.
Finally, Giuseppe Capone, a local scholar, has formulated a further hypothesis for which the name derives from pardes (garden), therefore "garden hill". Furthermore, it is said that the centaur Chiron, master of Aesculapius, god of medicine, healed a serious wound with wild herbs gathered in this land and that he had his "Orto del Cantauro" right here.
Still famous today is the St. John's Night, which is held every 23nd June. As in antiquity, this evening is the ideal opportunity to relive the ancient atmosphere through stories, legends, music and popular dances, around a large bonfire. The so-called "Guazza di San Giovanni" is prepared (i.e. water with an infusion of freshly picked flowers), with which the traditional "Baptism of the Compare" takes place: each one, equipped with a bouquet of flowers, baptizes a man or a woman who , from that moment on, he became his "Compare di San Giovanni". Over the centuries, the night that precedes this event has kept its own ritual, with the aim of defending men from any evil influence.
The company Sarandrea Marco & C.
And the company is located in Collepardo Sarandrea Marco & C., which has become a point of reference in the field of medicinal plants, used for the production of phytotherapeutic products and liqueurs that are unrivaled in the world. There have been various awards that the Sarandrea family has received over the years, starting from the gold medal in 1923, passing through the silver one, honor plates and special prizes, up to the appointment of Sarandrea Marco & C. srl as “Company of the year 2017”.
All company extracts are obtained from maceration of fresh plants, collected in a protected and uncontaminated natural environment, placed in hydroalcoholic or hydroglyceroalcoholic solution immediately after collection. The plant raw materials are fresh, with the exception of plant drugs which must be procured from abroad, obviously in their dry form.
The production chain starts from the selection of the collection area, preferring those of a wild nature, with indigenous and untouched vegetation. The collection sites are chosen on the basis of their distance from industrial, road and even agricultural areas to avoid possible contamination by pesticides used in intensive production. Furthermore, the harvest takes place manually respecting the balsamic time (when the plant contains the maximum of the active ingredient), without any metal tool that could oxidize the plant. Finally, the processing is carried out with technology refrigerated cutter, which allows you to preserve all the active ingredient present in the plant material.
