Museo del Bergamotto, Specialized museum in Reggio Calabria, Italy

The Museo del Bergamotto is a specialized museum in Reggio Calabria dedicated to the history, cultivation, and industrial processing of bergamot, a citrus fruit grown almost exclusively along this stretch of coast. Located in Via dei Filippini, close to the seafront, it displays historical tools, photographs, and machines used over the centuries to extract the essential oil from the fruit's peel.

Bergamot cultivation along the Reggio Calabria coast dates back to the 18th century, when the extraction of its essential oil became a key economic activity in the area. In 1844, the first mechanical press for extracting the oil was invented here, replacing the older manual method that used a natural sponge to absorb the juice squeezed from the peel.

The museum's name comes from the fruit that shaped this coast: bergamot, whose peel yields the essence used in perfumes and in Earl Grey tea. Visitors follow the fruit from the tree to the extraction room, where the tools and vessels of the old trade are displayed. The collection was assembled by local growers and distillers who wanted the craft documented.

The museum is open Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays only by prior reservation. Visiting in the morning tends to give more time before the midday break, and group or family visits with workshops can be arranged by contacting the museum in advance.

The museum keeps a collection of the small sponges once used to absorb oil squeezed from bergamot peel, the method replaced by the mechanical press in 1844. The building itself belongs to Reggio Calabria's civic heritage, and the visit ends with a room where the oil's use in perfumery is explained.