Olive oil production in Italy by region: the Cultivars
Oil production in Italy is a source of pride and an incredible economic resource for our territories.
The extra virgin olive oil has a thousand varieties.
In Italy we have an extraordinary heritage of hundreds olive cultivars, spread for region.
After Spain, Italy ranks as one of the largest oil producers in the world, considering that 98% of the world’s olive oil heritage is concentrated in the Mediterranean basin.
The Italian production is concentrated more in the Center-South and in the islands (primarily Sicily), given the large presence of olive groves.
Among the regions of northern Italy, however, there is a great oil tradition and excellent quality production. In Lombardy, for example, despite the absence of a Mediterranean climate, olive groves survive thanks to the presence of microclimates created by pre-Alpine lakes in the hilly areas. In this regard, we can mention the Gargnà and Casaliva cultivars. Veneto creates a Mediterranean climate near Lake Garda. In the Venetian cultivars we find Casaliva and Leccino.
Trentino and Friuli Venezia Giulia have a very small area of olive trees, which is concentrated in the upper part of Lake Garda. Liguria is also a producer of high quality olive oil, it is impossible not to mention the Taggiasca cultivar, followed by the Razzola.
Going south we find a very small production of olive oil in the province of Rimini, in Emilia Romagna. Instead, Tuscany is the best producer in terms of quality above all. The now famous cultivars emerge throughout Italy such as Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino. In the Marche region, another region of extremely high quality, the Ascolana and Carboncella cultivars stand out. Umbria is full of centuries-old olive trees, dating back as far as the Roman Empire. Lazio follows, where the crop is spread throughout the territory. Abruzzo and Molise, on the other hand, are two interesting realities with very ancient varietal heritages, respectively the Dritta and the Gentile stand out.
The journey ends in southern Italy. In Campania the presence of olive groves can be traced back to the colonization of the Greeks and Phoenicians. In Basilicata, traces of hazelnuts found in the archaeological excavations of Metaponto date the production of oil back to the 8th century. B.C.
Through Calabria where the Ottobratica, Carolea Sinopolese and Dolce di Rossano cultivars dominate, we arrive in Sicily, where the protagonists are Cerasuola, Biancolilla and Nocellara.
Sardinia closes with an ancient tradition testified by the Bosana, Cerexia, Confetto, Cornetti and Manna varieties.
Puglia is one of the regions most marked by the presence of the olive tree (dating back to the Neolithic), unlike other regions, here the olive groves extend more in the plains than in the hills. Here we find Peranzana, Coratina, Cima di Bitonto, Cima di Mola, Ogliarola Salentina, Cellina di Nardò and Pizzuta di Massafra.
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