THE GOOD OIL MILL
AT YOUR HOME
Deeply influenced by the Mediterranean and everything that surrounds it, the journey to discover the origins of the olive tree and olive oil, symbols and cornerstones of the universal culinary (and not only) culture, begins over 7000 years ago and continues up to the present day.
A long and sweet story, capable of intertwining different ancient civilizations that appeared on this sea for the first time, traveling in search of new worlds and thus new products and markets.
From then to today, where extra virgin olive oil still plays a very important role in our daily nutritional, beneficial and healthy lives.
But let’s go step by step… or rather, by centuries!
Olive oil and the Mediterranean, where one is, the other is, impossible to divide them, impossible to dissolve the profound bond that has held them close since time immemorial.
The cultivation of the olive tree starts on the lands bathed by this sea, on the coasts of Syria and Palestine, up to the Pillars of Hercules; in fact it is said that, in Tyre, Phoenicia, in the temple of the god Melgart (Phoenician god of vegetation, navigation and colonial expeditions) but known as Hercules for the Greek civilisation, the first olive tree was kept and that it was transported via sea up to Cadiz, Spain, thus arriving in Europe. Following the spread of the cultivation of this plant, its fruit, i.e. olive oil, also began to be produced in various areas of this part of the Mediterranean and, already considered a precious product at that time, began to be marketed both by sea and by land.
Such an ancient product, olive oil, that it is impossible not to find it the protagonist of numerous ancient myths; one of the best known is certainly the Greek one which attributes the birth of the first olive tree to the goddess Athena.
Legend has it that Poseidon and Athena, competing for the position of ruler, competed over who would offer the most beautiful gift to the people of Athens. Poseidon made an horse rise from the ground, fast and strong, an animal capable of helping the Athenians during their battles. Athena on the other hand, striking a rock with her spear, caused the first olive tree to grow from the earth, very useful for the population because it was truly versatile. How?
Thanks to olives, in fact, the Athenians were able to: illuminate the night and religious spaces, heal wounds and feed the population. Zeus, judge of the challenge, chose the most peaceful element: the olive tree, thus attributing the victory to Athena who became the goddess of Athens.
As proof of how ancient the history of the olive tree and olive oil actually is, we are fortunate to have many stories and myths like the one mentioned above as well as many historical finds from the Greek and Roman era, which demonstrate the importance of this green gold for the civilizations of the past, who were able to experience it and discover it from different points of view such as culinary, religious, medical…
Moving a little further towards our territories, we now discover how the cultivation of the olive tree and the production of olive oil arrived in Europe and, more specifically, in the first Iberian peninsula.
In the 7th century BC, Phoenician merchants landed on the Mediterranean coasts of the Iberian peninsula, bringing olives and olive oil and it was they who founded the city of Candice, a bridge city between the Mediterranean, in its grandeur, and the local cities. In addition to oil, they brought many other goods, thus starting the first real trading activity on the Iberian peninsula, subsequently making it the most important olive oil province in the Mediterranean.
But in Italy, and especially in Veneto, where extra virgin olive oil still plays a leading role, how did the olive tree and its fruits arrive?
The first appearance of this product occurred 3,500 years ago, but it then began to spread more evenly around the 7th century BC, again thanks to the skilled work of Phoenician and Carthaginian merchants and the Greek colonies. Here, in the Italian cities of Magna Graecia, olive oil slowly became an indispensable product in everyday life and this is how the Etruscans and Italians began to learn the techniques for growing the olive tree and extracting the ‘oil, thus giving life to the first olive groves and to a nation that will become one of the greatest in the world oil sector in the future.
As regards our region, the Veneto, olive growing and the production of extra virgin olive oil can be attributed to the Republic of Venice starting from the 16th century, when the Serenissima decided to promote the cultivation of olive trees in the lands of the Euganean Hills and Lake Garda, after abandoning maritime trade fearing competing powers.
A love story the one between extra virgin olive oil and the Mediterranean; the famous green gold has become, over time, a cornerstone of the famous Mediterranean diet, positively influencing the eating style of all the countries overlooking this sea, enriching us in flavor but also in well-being. Yes, because extra virgin olive oil has invaluable qualities from a nutritional point of view, in fact, thanks to its lipid composition and the presence of antioxidants, it carries out, among others, a beneficial action in the prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and is useful for intestinal health and the immune system thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. A true elixir of long life!
It is no coincidence that EVO oil plays a role and a privileged position within the food pyramid, indeed, it is defined as the king of the Mediterranean diet thanks to the healthy and balanced diet model that it allows us to follow while staying at its base.
As evidence of the importance that the olive tree and its oil have played over time and to pay homage to them, Frantoio Bonamini has opened the Oil Museum, a collection of ancient olive machinery and objects, to offer visitors a unique experience and original, to discover all the aspects linked to this precious companion of daily culinary life.
