Packaged by Bavicchi
http://www.gourmetseed.com/product/VFR10/Pole-Bean-Seeds-Supermarconi-Romano.html

Packaged by Franchi (founded 1783-same family still runs the operation in Italy)

http://www.growitalian.com/bean-pole-super-marconi-57-30/

Both of these sites have excellent products. Look around!

I have read reviews of a lot of the beans on both sites and some are top rate for sure!

Wow, a duplicate post, sorry missed it for a minute! I'm going to try these from Grow Italian. I have grown a few tomatoes from Franchi seeds and was inpressed. Time to try the beans!

This post was edited by Drew51 on Mon, Dec 15, 14 at 17:59

There is some confusion between 'Romano' and 'Romano' beans. Currently the term is applied to very long, very flat beans (aka 'sword beans' although the real sword bean is another species of course). This type of bean is often white seeded.

Romano beans used to be shorter and rounder with tan seeds or even with tan seeds and tan stripes.

I don't know whether you are looking for that type. If so 'Valena Italian' and several other varieties might be what you are looking for.

Here is a link that might be useful: Valena Italian

"The Romano pole beans I grew previously were just from locally purchased packets and they produced a tan bean with a wonderful meaty taste."

Just to clarify, do you prefer the flavor of the seeds, or of the pods?

Thanks galina, the Valena Italian looks like the bean I remember. It is a true heirloom - not improved. So hopefully it will have the terrific flavor - as well as the strings. Super Marconi is one of the Romano beans I've tried, and it just isn't as good.

zeedman, the meaty flavor came from the seeds. But when they were cooked up with a little water in the bottom of the pan and olive oil, garlic and salt, the whole bean was perfection.

It's probably not the same as it is a family heirloom, but it might be similar. I myself am more interested in good snap beans pods, and beans being tasty. Not just the bean itself. The Italian beans are what i like, and probably a lot older heirloom than the one at victory seeds. Yet, I now get you were looking for a certain bean. Those Italian company offerings I listed, have seed Thomas Jeffereson mentions importing in 1875. Franchi was formed at that time too, I think the seed company was formed in 1874, and the same family still runs it. Talk about heirloom seeds!

You might want to look around there at other beans they have. The Spagna A Grano Bicolore bean they offer sounds similar.

Years ago we didn't have the seed selection that is available now. The bean I remember was sold as "Romano Pole Bean". I got it by choosing a packet with that name from a seed rack - any seed rack. It was always the same bean - terrific flavor and heavy strings. It must have been a "variety", but it wasn't sold as anything other than "Romano Pole Bean". It seems that most of the "heirloom" beans I've been ordering have been "improved" by removing strings. I don't know if that has affected the flavor, or if it is just a different bean. But a packet of "Romano Pole Bean" is not the same as it was. Even the terminology has changed - they are no longer string beans. I've tried so many of them over the past few years, and they just don't have the flavor. I am trying a few more this year including Valena from Victory Seeds. That one looks a lot like the bean I remember.

This might be the Romano bean that you are searching for... I've never grown it, but it is described as being tan seeded. Pole Romano I grow another Romano-type snap bean, Garafal Oro, which has pods of wonderful flavor & seeds that dry to light tan... but the quality of the cooked seeds is not as good as those you described. If none of those suggested thus far proves to be the bean you remember, send me a PM, there are other possible sources.

Does anybody know the 'Romano' Pole type bean that Burpee used to sell? I don't think they had strings, at least not at first. Maybe tan brown seeds. Flat pods which seemed velvety soft and substantial, with distinct flavor.

I've tried 'Spanish Musica' and 'Northeaster' and the pods seem much longer and thinner (flat side) than the Burpee 'Romano'

The 'Musica' i had last year produced very quickly and started stringless but the beans by the end of August actually had changed from mostly stringless to very stringy. Over the years, I've noticed some beans changing in character as the plants were "mature". Is this because of the plant getting older, or the changes in weather over the season? I don't mean bean pods left on plants to dry, but new pods growing after other pods have been picked. Would it be useful to stagger plantings of pole beans?

Fignut, I've had a similar search going in the last couple of years. I'm wondering what variety you have settled on? There's nothing like a tender, flavorful Italian flat bean. The ones I had were a deep glossy brown with a white eye (sold as "Romano Pole Beans" when I bought them, but most these days are white). My husband and I loved them. I don't care about strings, as long as they are tender and not stringy when cooked. The ones I had could get enormous, and were still tender and delicious when cooked.

https://www.victoryseeds.com/bean_romano.html

https://www.growitalian.com/bean-super-marconi-57-30/

Thank you tigereye! I had tried the Super Marconi, and wasn't impressed. But the Romano from Victory Seeds looks very promising. I ordered some immediately on seeing your post! Here's hoping no one "improved" them, LOL.

Thanks again!

I hate new and unimproved. I think I will order some also If I can find a spot to plant them. Maybe we can compare notes at the end of the summer.

Sounds like a plan. I'm really looking forward to finally getting the wonderful, meaty bean I remember. Thanks for taking the time to post the information.

Ah, are the three of us are looking for the exact same thing? How great to have company in the search!

I have made some progress in finding more "Romano" varieties! SeedSavers.org is an organization that allows individuals who save seed varieties to make them available to those who ask. I searched for "Romano,", and I've found a few contenders which I am going to try out!....

1) Romano II Italian Pole Bean https://exchange.seedsavers.org/page/variety/id/126981 I've corresponded with Nickie, and she says these are shiny beige-seeded ones with a white eye. She describes them as "meaty and delicious" at both the medium and over-grown stage. She is eager to share the variety, and will send them (free!) to anyone who will grow them, convinced that once you try them you will love them.

2) Romano Pole Bean https://exchange.seedsavers.org/page/listing/id/6699.45411 "60 days, tall vines produce wide flat large pods with a wonderful nutty flavor, very quick cooking, best when steamed for 1-2 minutes, light brown seed" --This one gave me problems when I went to pay via PayPal, so I am following instructions to pay by check.

3) "Romano Brown Seeded" https://exchange.seedsavers.org/page/variety/id/45416 No real description, but the brown color sounds promising to me, so I'm excited about this one!

There may be more results, but I stopped looking after the above three. Here's the search that I found most results from:

https://exchange.seedsavers.org/page/catalog/search/variety?keyword=romano

I've also posted in the Seed exchange area on this forum asking if anyone has any Romano Pole beans with brown seeds. So far no reply. Unfortunately the seed lists are not searchable, so it's a pretty inefficient seed trading system. I did find one "Romano Pole Bean," but I'm not trying it because it's a variegated seed (different looking) and there was no description about taste or tenderness. [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/have-garden-of-eden-romano-type-pole-bean-seeds-from-2017-dsvw-vd~5067556[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/have-garden-of-eden-romano-type-pole-bean-seeds-from-2017-dsvw-vd~5067556)

P.S. I ordered already the SuperMarconi from GrowItalian.com , I'm sorry to hear it was a dud! I also ordered their "Smeraldo," https://www.growitalian.com/bean-smeraldo-57-45/ which, it turns out, is white seeded. Did you try that one yet, fignut or tigereye?