California Italian Studies

This article explores the sacred aspects of the representation of oranges in texts leading up to the so-called "Rosarno events." Starting with the dual meaning of oranges in Vittorini's Conversazione in Sicilia , the article looks back to examine the connection of oranges with religious gardens, their supernatural powers in nineteenth-century folklore and literature, and their sacralization in contemporary commercials. These elements converge on the sacred attributes of oranges in the popular discourse about the African immigrant orange pickers' plight in Rosarno.