This variety is a citrus fruit obtained by graft between cedar and “ariddaru” lemon.

The Garibaldi colonel Giovanni Interdonato, between 1875 and 1880, selected for his citrus field this particular culture whose fruits emerged for the period of precocious maturation, the high size, the stretched and cylindrical shape with coniform umbo, the pulp of exquisite and low-acidulated taste, the rind without bitter aftertaste and with a very fine grain, from which derives the appellation of “special lemon” or “fine lemon”.

The very elevate growth cadence of these fruits and the high-precocious maturation period makes  this variety consumptive since September, when other lemon varieties are not available on market.

The autochthonous attribute of “Interdonato” lemon culture has to be imputed to a combination of naturals and anthropic factors typical of the culture zone, which some Ionian riparian municipalities in Messina district make part of, combination not otherwere reproducible. In these areas the climate is bland with clement winters and very hot summers, and a distinctive importance has the windiness characterized by predominant north-west, south-wester and south-easter winds . For these reasons this lemon variety achieved the acknowledgement of Protected Geographical Indication by the “Interdonato Ionian Messina lemon” appellation.