On 28 and 29 March 2026, the Botanical Garden of Villers-lès-Nancy celebrates 30 years of IGP status for the Bergamote de Nancy. Guided tours, workshops, and citrus blooming in the orangery.
On 28 and 29 March 2026, the Jean-Marie Pelt Botanical Garden in Villers-lès-Nancy hosts an event dedicated to the Bergamote de Nancy, the city's signature sweet. The occasion is a special one: the Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) status held by the confection marks its 30th anniversary. The programme includes guided tours of the orangery, workshops, and a chance to experience the spring blooming of citrus trees.
The Bergamote de Nancy: A Sweet with a Story
The Bergamote de Nancy is a hard, translucent candy with a golden colour, flavoured with bergamot essential oil. Its taste is unlike any other sweet: at once citrusy, slightly bitter, and floral. It is part of Nancy's identity in the same way as Place Stanislas or the Art Nouveau heritage.
The history of this candy dates back to the 18th century. The bergamot, a citrus fruit native to southern Italy (mainly Calabria), arrived in Nancy via the trade routes that connected Lorraine to southern Europe. Nancy's confectioners began using the essential oil extracted from the fruit's rind to flavour cooked-sugar candies.
Over the centuries, the recipe was refined and the sweet became a staple of local confectionery. Several Nancy-based houses carry on this tradition, each with their own production subtleties, but all following the same basic process: cooked sugar flavoured with natural bergamot essential oil.
The 1996 IGP: Official Protection
In 1996, the Bergamote de Nancy was granted Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) status, a European certification that guarantees the link between a product and its territory of origin. This official recognition means that only confectioners who meet a precise set of requirements and are located within the defined geographical area can use the name "Bergamote de Nancy".
The IGP imposes strict criteria: the use of natural bergamot essential oil (not synthetic), a defined manufacturing process, and production within the specified geographical zone. This label protects both confectioners and consumers by guaranteeing the product's authenticity.
In 2026, this IGP turns 30. Three decades of official protection for a sweet whose history spans far longer.
The Event at the Botanical Garden
The Jean-Marie Pelt Botanical Garden in Villers-lès-Nancy is the chosen setting for this celebration. This is no accident. The garden has an orangery where citrus trees are cultivated, including bergamot trees. In spring, these trees come into bloom. The white flowers release a delicate fragrance, and it is precisely this time of year that was selected for the event.
As the organisers note: "The citrus trees bloom in the orangery of the botanical garden in spring. This is the time to discover their flowering and especially their fragrance."
Guided Tours and Workshops
The 28-29 March event offers guided tours of the orangery, focused on citrus fruits and their cultivation. Visitors will be able to observe bergamot trees and other citrus species, understand the growing conditions for these trees in the Lorraine climate, and smell bergamot flowers at the moment of their blooming.
Workshops complement the programme. They cover orange blossoms, citrus cultivation, and the confectionery associated with bergamot. Precise workshop details (times, capacity, registration) should be checked on the Botanical Garden's website or Nancy Tourisme.
Bergamot: From Citrus Fruit to Candy
To understand the Bergamote de Nancy, one must start with the fruit itself. The bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a citrus fruit roughly the size of an orange, yellow when ripe. Its rind contains an essential oil with a very distinctive scent, both citrusy and floral.
The fruit is primarily grown in Calabria, southern Italy, where the climate is ideal. Bergamot is best known for two uses: perfumery (it is one of the components of Eau de Cologne) and flavouring Earl Grey tea.
In Nancy, it is bergamot essential oil that is used to flavour the candies. The fruit itself is not grown on a large scale in Lorraine due to the climate. But the few bergamot trees in the Botanical Garden serve as a reminder of the link between the Mediterranean citrus and the Lorraine confectionery tradition.
Confectioners' Craft
The production of the Bergamote de Nancy rests on classic confectionery craftsmanship. Sugar is cooked at high temperature, then flavoured with bergamot essential oil before being poured, cooled, and cut. The result is a hard, transparent candy that releases its aroma gradually in the mouth.
The Nancy confectioners who produce this sweet carry on an artisanal tradition. The sugar cooking, the dosage of essential oil, the precise moment when the flavouring is added: each step demands experience. It is a craft of precision.
Nancy and Its Culinary Specialities
The Bergamote de Nancy belongs to a broader local culinary tradition. The city is also known for its macarons (Nancy macarons, different from Parisian macarons, are almond-based biscuits without filling), its mirabelle plums (the emblematic fruit of Lorraine), and its Madeleines de Commercy, produced in the nearby town.
This confectionery and pastry richness makes Lorraine a region where food traditions have a long history. The Bergamote de Nancy is one of the most original representatives, through its unique flavour and its connection to a distant citrus fruit.
Practical Information
The event "La Bergamote de Nancy, 30 Years of IGP" takes place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March 2026 at the Jean-Marie Pelt Botanical Garden in Villers-lès-Nancy.
The Botanical Garden is located a few kilometres from Nancy city centre. It is accessible by car and by public transport (Stan network).
For guided tour and workshop times, registration details, and further information, it is recommended to check the Botanical Garden's official website and the Nancy Tourisme website.
