How the Marina Alta orange captivated the world: quality summed up on 20th century labels

The Marina Alta has around 5.000 hectares of lush citrus terraces among its characteristic landscapes. Orange trees, to a large extent, but also lemon and grapefruit trees occupy a large part of its land and it is difficult not to find some corner dedicated to these crops in its thirty-three municipalities.

Orange trees in Els Poblets

Orange trees have been in the region since the lands were first settled by Muslims, back in the 10th century. They used the Citrus aurantium, a bitter variety, to decorate gardens or to make liqueurs and jams, according to MACMA. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the first sweet orange trees arrived, more similar to those we know today, but it was not until the 20th century that Marina Alta became a worldwide success with its varieties.

The end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century marked a change in the star crop. Phylloxera left the vines and the raisin trade in crisis and devastated the dedication of the towns and their residents. But the golden age of raisins in the region opened the door to export to foreign countries and, with it, the territory began to gain fame beyond its borders.

Perfectly arranged orange tree terraces in Pedreguer

The towns where irrigation was more feasible began to increasingly opt for oranges. For this reason, most of the terraces in the towns surrounding the Serra de Segària and following the course of the Girona River, as well as Pego, l'Atzúbia and Forna, are made up of orange trees. The commitment to monoculture prospered and citrus fruits, their aromas and the tradition that they give off are a hallmark of the region.

The expansion of the orange and its trade was largely characterized by the international export of the fruit. And making it attractive and different for the various marketers of the crop led to a good number of commercial brands that required a certain image. Bright colors, endearing scenes or tradition were part of the inspiration for the graphic design of the time for the sale of citrus fruits.

Orange trees on the Camí Vell de Gandia between Els Poblets and Dénia

The CIRNE Foundation of Xàbia, through Antoni Espídos Quero, contributes to Aguaits, the Revista d'Investigació i Assaig of the Institut d'Estudis Comarcals de la Marina Alta, in its 2020 edition, a large compilation of labels, brands and texts about this visual phenomenon that accompanied the good times of oranges in the region.

The most well-known destinations to which the products were sent were New York or the United Kingdom, but in this labelling the texts are even adapted to German, revealing the potential and reach of the marketers.

Orange trees in Ondara

Another of the curiosities of orange export that can be seen in the visual claims of the 20th century is the great prestige that the city of DéniaCompeting with Gandia as the main export port, the name of the capital of the Marina Alta was synonymous with quality. For this reason, you can find some labels with origins in Sanet, but with the Dénia denomination also present.

Beniarbeig

Label 'The current one. Luís Fornés Seguí, Beniarbeig'

Sanet i Negrals

Pego

Label 'Gold foam. Ortolà, Son of Carmelo Ortolà Femenía, Pego'

Label 'Mutti, Frutortola. Son of Carmelo Ortolà, Pego'

Tag 'Frutortola. Son of Carmelo Ortolà, Pego'

Pedreguer

Ràfol d'Almúnia

Wrapper 'Antonio Mezquida Pastor. Rafol from Almunia, Extra Selected'

–Espinos Quero, A. (2020). Taronja labels to the Marina Alta. In Institut d'Estudis Comarcals de la Marina Alta (Ed.), WATERS. IECMA Research and Assaig Magazine (ed. no. 41-42, pp. 89-101).