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Centuries-old monumental olive trees

Historical Background on the Monumental Ancient Olive Trees in Puglia

The Olive tree, much like the vine, is one of the oldest known plants in Puglia. Many authors attest that Puglia was one of the most olive-growing regions in ancient times. It is believed that the cultivation of the olive dates back to around the 7th century B.C., and there is no doubt that olive growing has always played a key role in the Puglian economy. In fact, the extra virgin olive oil from Salento had already conquered (since 336 B.C.) not only the national and regional markets but also those of the Orient, with the first Greek migratory flows playing a decisive role in the further spread of the cultivation and improvement of milling techniques. For these reasons, we speak of monumental ancient olive trees.

Since the 3rd century B.C. and during the Roman domination, the olive-growing area experienced significant expansion (possibly settling within less competitive cereal areas with lower incomes), and by the time of Augustus, Puglia occupied the leading position among the olive-growing regions. Some centuries before the birth of Christ, merchants from Brindisi had initiated a substantial olive oil export flow to Delos, Ephesus, Crete, Alexandria, and Arabia, and olive cultivation saw considerable growth, favored by the policies of Trajan and Hadrian, only to decline later during the barbarian invasions. While systematic devastation was wrought by the Goths, Alemanni, Heruli, and Visigoths, the Saracens, between 769 and 963, encouraged the expansion of olive cultivation (even creating true forests) by spreading another variety (now well-known), the Cellina, also known as “Saracena.” Following the settlement along the Apulian coastal areas of Byzantine monks, particularly the Basilian monks, who slowly acquired vast territories, there was both an intense process of land parcelization and an additional stimulus towards the intensification of olive areas, with the establishment of fairs and markets to facilitate the commercialization of agricultural products. While secure information on the reforming and colonizing work of the Basilians in the province of Lecce from the 9th to the 10th century is lacking, it is commonly believed that it was during this period that the oldest olive groves date back, with clear traces still remaining today near S.M. di Cerrate, S.Maria del Mito (Tricase), and in the Arneo.

The great forests of Lecce, Nardò, and Gallipoli were replaced by the olive tree: instead of the “scrublands,” there arose “chiesure,” made up of fenced plots planted with olive trees in a regular spacing. At the beginning of the 19th century, the three laws abolishing feudalism by Gioacchino Murat allowed access to land ownership for a class of bourgeois entrepreneurs. Considerable capital from trade and the liberal professions was then injected into agriculture. Investments primarily focused on establishing new olive groves, which were considered highly profitable at the time for the production of extra virgin olive oil in Puglia, particularly in Lecce.

A further strong expansion drive in olive cultivation came from the twenty-nine-year colonial farming contracts, in effect until World War II: the farmer planted, intercropped, olives and vines, managed the entire production cycle of the vine, and then left the land to the owner, with the olive grove fully matured. In the last thirty years, following the spread of irrigation and the acknowledgment of its positive effects on the olive, experimentation first began, and now a new, intensive olive cultivation, in close spacing, capable of producing in a few years, has spread. Today this cultivation, which has also gone through the introduction of new varieties, has surpassed 9,000 hectares, with high production of Puglian extra virgin olive oil.

BASIC OIL TASTING KIT

FREE ORDER

The KIT is a sample pack of 2 bottles of extra virgin olive oil: Fruity and Balanced. You only pay €16.50 for shipping from Italy
Tasting kit of Puglian extra virgin olive oil from Salento, free of charge, complimentary
Tasting kit of Puglian extra virgin olive oil from Salento, free of charge, complimentary
BASIC OIL TASTING KIT

FREE ORDER

The KIT is a sample pack of 2 bottles of extra virgin olive oil: Fruity and Balanced. You only pay €16.50 for shipping from Italy