The Italian Department of Agriculture funded in 1993 a national programme aiming to the evaluation of cultivars of pome and stone fruits, including almonds. The studies concerning the horticultural performance of the cultivars are carried out in six evaluation orchard sited in southeast Italy. A seventh unit charged with the evaluation of the technological characteristics of the cultivars is sited in Lombardia. Due to the great horticultural importance attached to the self- fruitfulness, 9 cultivars under evaluation out of 14 have been chosen among those able to bear a crop with their own gametes: (i) the Italian Falsa barese, Genco, Pepparudda, Sannicandro, Supernova and Tuono; (ii) the French Lauranne and Steliette; and (iii) the Spanish Moncayo. The remaining self-unfruitful cultivars are: (iv) the Italian Fascionello, Fellamasa, Fragiulio grande, Pizzuta d'Avola and Trianella; (v) the French Ferragnès; and (vi) the Spanish Francolí, Glorieta and Masbovera.