Symbolic of Unity, fertility, of romance and creativity

Greeks associated Quince with the fabled city of Cydonia on Crete

Quince was the sacred fruit of Aphrodite

Venus, Roman goddess of love, is often shown holding a quince in her right hand

Charlemagne in 812, allegedly ordered a quince tree to be planted in the Royal Garden

A quince tree is planted as a symbol of love, fertility and life when a baby is born.

Quince fruits were thrown at a bride and groom as they entered their new home to ensure a brides fertility

If you eat quinces when pregnant it was thought your children would be super- intelligent and hard working

A quince was often given as a divine offering

A quince is one of the oldest fruit trees known

In legends, when fables talk of ‘apples’ they are often referring to ‘quinces’.

A quince is also known as the ‘golden apple’ in Greek and Norse mythology

Quinces were used medicinally as an anti-inflammatory, and are also used in recipes, ie. jam, marmalades, jellies and wine

Quince is the symbol of love for Greeks and Romans

Quinces are depicted in the temple of Zeus of Olympia

The Quince Tree is possibly the tree referred to by Hesiod in his Theory, as the one that bore the golden fruits in the sacred garden.

Baby Jesus is depicted holding a quince, in Bellini’s painting, as a symbol of the resurrection.

Hippocrates’s remedy, according to Dioscorides, a 1st Century doctor, was to grind quince flowers to a creamy paste as a cure for eye inflammations.

In Turkey, Quince leaves are a folk remedy for diabetes