Optimum Olive oil

The territory of Piceno has always shown a remarkable vocation for olive growing, practically from immemorial time. As a witness this ancient calling of our area, several Middle Ages documents testify that the ships landing along the river Po were asked a toll consisting in twenty-five 'libras' of olive oil. In the second half of the 13th century, this toll, called 'Ripatico', was also collected from the Apulians, but their oil was judged of inferior quality in comparison with Marche's oil, as the regulations of Venetian merchants testify: the oil coming 'de Marchia' enjoyed a very high reputation, since Marche was considered one of the best regions for its delicious product. The custom of having the Empire provinces to deliver oil as a toll to pay had been introduced by the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was the monks who continued planting olive trees and, doing so, safeguarded the olive-growing custom, especially in those territories belonging to the Papal States.

The farmers entrusted with the replanting of olive groves were remunerated with money or a part of the products: this was a sort of a sharecropping contract ahead of its time, that would become the dead axle of the rural economy in the Marches later on. In the 14th century, the regional oil production was marketed as far as Florence in considerable quantities. This export trade, also enhanced by the fact that production exceeded domestic consumption, went on until the 17th century. Today, olive-growing in Piceno's territory owes most of its renown to one of the symbol products of the area - the tender olives from Ascoli area, which are about to obtain the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

But besides this special variety that is totally autochthonous, there is a wide range of deriving varieties of olives and extra-virgin oils of very high quality, thanks to technical progress lately made by several producers and also thanks to painstaking research, experimentation and real technical support provided by regional organizations.

The following figures say a lot about the size of production: Piceno's province covers about 50% of Marche's regional total, with more than 1,000 hectares of specialized olive groves; 70 oil mills (65 of which still operating), out of the 160 counted in Marche's region, are located within the territory of Ascoli Piceno's province, which has recently undertaken new planting projects on about three hundred hectares fields as well as systematic interventions to protect the environment. "Leccino", "Frantoio", "Moraiolo" are the most widespread varieties, together with the autochthonous (in some cases regional) cultivars "Sargano", "Raggia", "Piantone di Falerone" (the last one being of particular interest thanks to its remarkable originality and the commitment for quality took on by producers over the past few years).

The extra-virgin oils produced from these olives are, broadly speaking, fruity and pungent to a nick when produced in the inland hills, while those from the coastal strip are generally marked by a sweet flavour.

Production choices as well as time and way of picking also influence the final product: hand picking is still very common and modern processing lines coexist with the traditional pressing systems. The production system already started taking its shape in the 15th century: it consists of several oil mills scattered around in the area and is marked by a fractioned yet often high-quality production.

Optimum Olive oil

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