Umbria: the oil land

Olive trees, that can stand the unfavourable climate and the difficult soil, are the most typical plants of our territory. Umbrian olive oil is unique in the world, because of the environmental conditions and plant varieties found in the region, combined with the skill of olive growers and oil mill workers.
Umbrian DOP (POD: Protected Designation of Origin) oils, because of the high quality varieties of olives, such as the “Frantoio”, the “Moraiolo”, the “Dolce Agogia”, the “San Felice”, the “Rajo”, the “Nostrane di Rigali”, and the wide temperature range due to the continental climate of the region, is rich in phenolic substances that give it its characteristic herbal, strong and slightly bitter taste and aroma.

Etruscans were the first population to appreciate its qualities, and then the Romans improved the art of cultivation. But Umbrian olivegrowing reached its maximum development only in 1830, with the encouragement of Pope Pius VIII.
Nowadays olives are still grown with loving care, despite the considerable efforts required, enhancing the value of our territory and of our local cooking, which with the DOP oil is typical of the Mediterranean diet, representing a perfect fusion of quality, taste, culture and lifestyle.
Olives, these wonderful trees, are still, after thousands of years, an immense asset for Umbria, one of the reasons it appears great in the eyes of the world.

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