La spugnatura (which can be roughly translated into ?sponging?) is one of the oldest extraction techniques of citrus essences; it is a manual method requiring skill and extreme precision, and today only a few craftsmen are still able to do it. To sponge citrus, the fruit is divided into two halves. Through a special tool -a middle way between a knife and a spoon, called "cavatore?- the artisan removes the pulp from each of the two halves, leaving the peel intact. This is then bent and pressed over a natural sponge, which will collect all the essence contained in the skin. When it is completely soaked with essence, the sponge will then be squeezed inside an earthenware vessel, and the essential oil thus obtained will be left to decant. Each craftsman manages to sponge about a quintal and a half of fruits per day, from which a little less than 500 grams of essence can be obtained. If citrus essences were still extracted in this way they would be more valuable than ambergris, and very few brands could afford them. Fortunately, the extraction of citrus essences has evolved so much to be performed in ultra-modern plants, using sophisticated and innovative techniques, allowing the perfume industry to use many wonderful citrus essences literally blooming in any fragrance that contains them.  Unfortunately, though, all these new methodologies have made ?spugnatura? a slow, anachronistic procedure in its dexterity. Yet, it still makes sense. ...