NAVELLI, Italy - The families in this medieval town are so devoted to saffron, the precious spice they painstakingly cultivate and process by hand, that they stash the dried flower stigmas it comes from in the safest, driest place in the house: the matriarch’s wardrobe.

“By tradition we don’t eat it ? it has always been what buys our children’s shoes,” said Agnese Di Iorio, 47, at a room in a former convent where Navelli’s saffron growers meet to package their product.

Instead, L’Aquila Saffron, or Zafferano Dell’Aquila, named for the region to which this village belongs, is doled out in judicious pinches at upscale restaurants in Italy and abroad.

In 2005, saffron grown here was awarded Italy’s “protected product” status acknowledging its extraordinary culinary standing.

But for the 97 families here who cultivate saffron - many have for generations - the spice means money , helping them earn an extra $5,000 to $10,000 a year.

It is grown in small plots of land and harvested before dawn each fall. And the saffron season is brief - less than two months from planting to harvest.

“There is a saying here that at Christmas Mass you know who had a good season ? you can smell it in their overcoats,” said Sandra Cantalini, who comes from a family of longtime growers.

But the tradition of cultivating saffron here, alive since the 13th century, is threatened by competition from cheaper products from other countries, an aging population , and most recently, a powerful earthquake in April.

Saffron, thought by many historians to have originated in the Middle East, has been a highly prized spice since at least the seventh century B.C. It is now grown in a wide variety of countries, including India, Iran, Morocco, Spain, Greece and Italy. Highly labor intensive to produce, it is sold at more than $300 per ounce. It takes 4,000 flowers to make an ounce of powder .

Here in Navelli, Valentino Di Marzio, the cooperative’s president, described his devotion to the spice as a “passion.’’ He added, “I inherited this knowledge from my father so I found myself with this obligation.”

The town’s youth seems noncommittal. “I’ve helped, but I don’t know if I’ll do it when I’m older,” said Simone Di Perzio, 15.

The saffron bulbs are planted in August and produce flowers in October. When the flowers blossom, they must be picked before dawn, while they are closed, so as not to lose any of the stigma’s powder.

Each day, after picking, the orange, red-topped filaments must be separated out by hand . “You need the whole family to help because one or two people is not enough to do this work,” said Ms. Cantalini .

Giovanna Sarra, who has been harvesting saffron since she was 3, is optimistic about the future of saffron growing in Navelli.

There are 10 applications pending for use of the special product designation. “We need to see they are good people, will respect the rules and take our strict rules seriously,” she said.


By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL