Description

The double red rose is without a doubt the species most commonly found in ancient Pompeii, both in terms of pictorial representation and mentions by classic authors. It has been variously identified, in the past, as a plant related to the Gallic rose. But can we exclude the contribution of an Oriental rose in a red, reflowering and fragranced rose? The peach (Prunus persica) was widely cultivated in Italy in Roman times; it was originally a species of Chinese origin that the Romans discovered upon arrival in Persia, where it had been introduced some time before. Might the Ancient Rose of Pompeii not have travelled the same path? Currently these are hypotheses that require closer examination, but it is certainly possible to solve the mystery.

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