essential oil through processing companies. Curiosity and folklore Every year, on December 13, the city of Siracusa celebrates the festival of its patron saint, Santa Lucia, with a long procession from the Piazza del Duomo in Ortigia to the Chiesa di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro. Eight days later, on the December 20, the procession retraces its route. On December 13, tradition dictates that the large candles which stand at the four corners of the statue of Santa Lucia are covered with bouquets of flowers, while on December 20, the silver statue is flanked by candles adorned with lemons and oranges. PGI-certified lemons in the European Union Italy has of lemon groves. The Siracusa lemon comprises more than 30% of the entire national production, with a cultivated area of almost 6,000 hectares. The production zone stretches in a coastal strip across 10 municipalities in the Province of Siracusa, in Sicily: Augusta, Avola, Melilli, Noto and Siracusa, and also includes some inland areas, in the municipalities of Floridia, Solarino, Priolo Gargallo, Rosolini and Sortino. The land area devoted to growing Protected Geographical Indication lemons in the European Union: The European Union has nine (PGI) denominations for lemons: six of these are from Italy, one from France, one from Spain, and one from Portugal. Other than the Siracusa lemon", the Italian denominations are the "Limone di Sorrento", the "Limone Costa d'Amalfi", the "Interdonato di Messina", the "Femminello del Gargano", and the "Limone di Rocca Imperiale". The French denomination is the "Citron de Menton". The Spanish denomination is the "Citricos Valencianos", while in Portugal the "Citrinos do Algarve" is protected. Consortium The Consorzio di Tutela del Limone di Siracusa IGP (Consortium for the Protection of the Siracusa Lemon PGI) was founded on 13 July 2000. It does not undertake commercial activities or sell lemons itself, though its members do. The Consortium's responsibilities include: defining the zones of production and varieties covered by PGI status; monitoring the zone of origin and markets to ensure correct usage of the "Siracusa Lemon PGI" denomination; promoting'' and spreading awareness and images of the PGI product at home and abroad. The current (2018) President of the Consortium is Michele Salvatore Lonzi. See also Lista P.A.T. siciliani Notes Citrus Cuisine of Sicily Agriculture in Italy Syracuse, Sicily Italian products with protected designation of origin