What's the Natalina fig like? Do you know anything about it origin? I just got one, so I'm curious. The only reference I've seen to it has been Canadian.

Fom: Fig Production Guide
Pasquale - A small purple fig with strawberry pulp distinguished by its late ripening--often in December or January. Oblate-spherical to pyriform with a short, thick neck. Not hardy. Fruit is sweet and rich when not damaged by frost. Synonyms: Natalino, Vernino
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Natalina is the same of Natalino, for me. In the southern dialects of Italy the fig is considered feminine, but in standard Italian is masculine.
But names of varieties are terribly confusing. Natalino means that it has fruits very late in the season, even at Christmas, Natale in Italian, but you can see that this variety is very different from that described by Condit:
In Tuscany is named "di tre volte" because in very favourable conditions brings fruits three times in a year

http://www.authorama.com/old-calabria-8.html
By Norman Douglas

And another of those things which emigration and the new order of affairs are surely destroying is that ancient anthropomorphic way of looking at nature, with its expressive turns of speech. A small boy, whom I watched gathering figs last year, informed me that the fig-tree was innamorato delle pietre e cisterneÂenamoured of stones and cisterns; meaning, that its roots are searchingly destructive to masonry and display a fabulous intuition for the proximity of water. He also told me, what was news to me, that there are more than two or three varieties of figs. Will you have his list of them? Here it is:
There is the fico arnese, the smallest of all, and the fico santillo, both of which are best when dried; the fico vollombola, which is never dried, because it only makes the spring fruit; the fico molegnano, which ripens as late as the end of October and must be eaten fresh; the fico coretorto (" wry-heart "Âfrom its shape), which has the most leathery skin of all and is often destroyed by grubs after rain; the fico troiano; the fico arzano; and the fico vescovo, which appears when all the others are over, and is eaten in February (this may be the kind referred to in StamerÂs "Dolce Napoli" as deriving from Sorrento, where the first tree of its kind was discovered growing out of the garden wall of the bishopÂs palace, whence the name). All these are neriÂblack.
Now for the white kinds. The fico paradiso has a tender skin, but is easily spoilt by rain and requires a ridiculous amount of sun to dry it; ihe fico vottato is also better fresh; the fico pezzottolo is often attacked by grubs, but grows to a large size every two or three years; the fico pascarello is good up till Christmas; the fico natalino; lastly, the fico -----, whose name I will not record, though it would be an admirable illustration of that same anthropomorphic turn of mind. The santillo and arnese, he added, are the varieties which are cut into two and laid lengthwise upon each other and so dried (Query: Is not this the "duplex ficus" of Horace?).
"Of course there are other kinds," he said, "but I donÂt remember them just now." When I asked whether he could tell these different fig-trees apart by the leaves and stems alone and without the fruit, he said that each kind, even in winter, retained its peculiar "faccia" (face), but that some varieties are more easy to distinguish than others. I enquired into the mysteries of caprification, and learned that artificial ripening by means of a drop of oil is practised with some of them, chiefly the santillo, vollombola, pascarello and natalino. Then he gave me an account of the prices for the different qualities and seasons which would have astonished a grocer.

Viadei -- thanks for the information. What I'd read regarding my new fig only says small and dark/black. I'm hoping that it's mislabeled or different from the traditional Natalino, because my season here won't permit such late ripening.

Hi I am interested in buying the Natalino and the Paradiso. I am also looking for the Gentile and Monaco (if you have them).
Please send me an e-mail with your tel. number at salvatorew@aol.com and we arrange the payment and pick-up or delivery.
How was your experience with Paradiso?
With regards to Natalino or Di Tre Volte, In the above picture (from the archives of the Belfiore Nursery in Florence) shown in the book of Mr. Fiorini "Il Fico", the skin is described as yellow (giallo) for the breba and Light green to yellow for the fig. Other references including the one posted by Viadei it says purple. Since Mr Fiorini has been throughout italy for 30 years, I assume it is yellow. It could be that the one we know as purple is not Natalino ?
Ciao
Sal