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The History
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The Tree
The wood of the olive tree resists decay, and when the top of the tree is
damaged by bad weather or human mistakes, a new trunk will grow back from
the roots.
Despite harsh winters and smoldering hot summers, the olive tree continues
to grow and produce fruit. The branches are able to carry a large amount of
olives on their twigs, which are so flexible that they sway with the
slightest breeze but remain very strong.
Olive leaves are thick and leathery. Each leaf grows over a 2-year period
and flowers bloom in late spring. They are small and white, grouped in loose
clusters in the axels of the leaves. There are two different kinds of
flowers: perfect flowers, containing both male and female parts, which are
capable of developing into the olive fruits; and staminate flowers, male
only, which contain the pollen-producing parts.
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The Fruit
The olive fruit is a drupe, botanically similar to an almond or a small
nectarine. The skin is smooth and free of hairs and the pit encloses the
seed. Fruit shape and size vary greatly among the different varietals. For
example, Kalamata olives, Greece's most prestigious olives, are small, black
and oval while Cerignola olives, main product of Apulia, are green, round
and rather large.
Some other common Italian olives are: Frantoio, native of Tuscany, Moraiolo,
also from Tuscany, and Leccino, particularly known for its tolerance to
adverse weather and cultivated in all the olive-growing regions of Italy.
Olives tend to have a maximum oil content and greatest weight 6 to 8 months
after the blossoms appear. Olives for consumption have different colors
because they are at different stages of ripeness or are cured in different
ways, not necessarily because they are different types of olives.
All fresh olives are bitter and tough. They have to be separated according
to color and size, then soaked in a lye treatment (traditionally wood ash)
and cured in either dry salt, or oil. Finally, they're packed in either oil
or vinegar with herbs, spices, and other flavorings. The best olives to make
olive oil are those that are not yet fully ripe. In Tuscany , the select oil
made from these unripe olives is called "l'olio del padrone " - the
oil given to the olive tree orchard's owner.
● The Oil
Olives are grown mainly for the production of olive oil, of which Italy and
Spain are now the most prolific producers. Extra-virgin olive oil is
produced in almost every region of Italy, except Piedmont and Val d'Aosta.
The leading producers are Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria and Apulia. There are
about 30 varieties of olives growing in Italy today, and each yields a
distinct oil with its own characteristics. In the beginning, the Etruscans
from Umbria, Tuscany, Northern Lazio and parts of Emilia-Romagna were the
main producers and exporters of oil in the Mediterranean. They were growing
olive trees in the first century A.D., and when they were conquered by the
Romans, the Romans became the greatest olive oil producers in the
world--with olive tree groves throughout the Roman Empire, including what is
now Spain, Southern France, Northern Africa, and the Middle East.
The Empire also formed trade associations and laws covering the production
and sale of olive oil. After the fall of the Empire, olive oil production
suffered and large-scale production and trade ended. However, the means of
production began once again to improve during the Middle Ages and throughout
the Renaissance. Once the Crusades reopened trade between the Mediterranean
and the East, the ports of Genova and Venice was revitalized and Italy once
again became the olive-oil making powerhouse it is today. Despite updates in
olive pressing and oil separating technology, the overall process is still
practically identical to what it was thousands of years ago.
The Sacred Tree
 "The
dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked
olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth..."
This is possibly the most frequently cited line from the Bible featuring the
olive tree. In the Old Testament, Noah sent a winged messenger of peace on a
mission to find dry land after the Flood. The dove returned to the ark with
an olive leaf in her beak, announcing the retreat of the waters from the
earth in the olive groves located in the area of what is now called Mount
Ararat, in western Turkey.
Promises, admonitions, precepts and prophecies of the Old Testament
frequently refer to olive trees, which is not surprising given that they
were considered indispensable and vital for people's health and sustenance.
The Promised Land, the land of the Hebrews, is described as the country of
wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranates, olives and honey. King Solomon and King
David placed great importance in the cultivation of olive trees. King David
even had guards watching over the olive groves and warehouses to ensure the
safety of the trees and their special oil, which was used for commerce and
trade.
The Mythical
Olive Tree
Prophets often warned the population to behave or else God would punish them
either by destroying olive trees, or by making them produce bad olive oil.
The prophet Joel foresaw that God's punishment would consist of devastating
the fields, ruining the corn, drying the wine supply and ending oil
production forever. When the population repented, God restored their crops,
wine and oil (Joel 2:19-24).
The Jews, and then the Christians, began using olive oil to anoint kings,
priests and believers. In fact, the word "Christ" means "anointed,
consecrated." The prophet Malachea mentions that rivers of oil flowed during
libations, and Samuel refers to the consecration of Saul with a jar of oil.
Nowadays, the olive tree is still considered sacred, mysterious and
mythical-a majestic tree that can survive thousands of years and watch
history fly by.
The Olive Tree in Greek
Mythology
In Greek mythology, Athens was
built by the semi-god Cecrope, who was half man and half snake. As the first
king, Cecrope unified the populations of the Attic villages of the Acropolis
and asked the gods for a sign of their protection.
 Poseidon,
god of the sea, and Athena, Zeus's daughter and goddess of wisdom, fought
over who would give them a sign. Poseidon struck a rock with his trident;
the rock released seawater and a horse that could run faster than the wind.
Athena planted the first olive tree, a tree that for centuries would give
mankind a delicious juice that could be used to prepare food, heal wounds
and diseases, and give light. Naturally, Cecrope declared Athena the winner.
Athena became the city's protector and namesake, and the Parthenon was built
in her honor. Built near the very first olive tree, the Parthenon became a
symbol of Greek culture, freedom and peace.
Another myth says that Theseus, son of Egeo and Etra, chief of the
expedition to Crete, defeated and killed the Minotaur to free the city of
Athens from the yearly human sacrifice. Theseus was able to leave the
labyrinth only thanks to a string-which he had tied around the branch of an
olive tree.
Olive trees have always dominated the area around Athens. In 86 B.C., the
Roman dictator Lucio Cornelio Silla had all of the trees destroyed in order
to build instruments of war. Their destruction was interpreted as an omen of
death.
 Solone,
poet, legislator and political chief, had more trees planted and became
famous for having promoted the cultivation of olive trees and placed them
under Zeus' protection. Since then, nobody has been able to destroy these
precious trees.
Another legend states that Alliroto, son of Poseidon, upset by his father's
defeat, tried to destroy the olive trees with an axe. The olive tree fell on
him and killed him. In addition, Homer featured olive oil and olive trees
prominently in his work.
For instance, olive branches ensured that the souls of the dead successfully
crossed the river Acheron to the underworld on Charon's boat. For the same
reasons, the Spartans buried their dead on a bed of olive twigs. Those who
attended the funeral wore crowns of olive branches to protect themselves
from evil.
Eventually, olive oil's all-important role through Greece resulted in
changes to the law and the currency. In 500 B.C., an image of Athena's head
crowned with olive oil was added to the drachma, the Greek coin that was
also the most circulated currency in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, in Sparta, anyone who cut down a tree was executed or exiled.
Olive oil also featured in early religious ceremonies, including the
Olympics, which were named after the city of Olympia. Here, games were
dedicated to the father of the gods, Zeus. Prizes included cash and olive
oil. The oil was gathered in amphorae of five to eight and a half gallons
each, meaning winners would receive 220-450 gallons of oil each! The winner
was crowned with olive branches--the tradition was instated by Heracles, who
organized the first Olympic ceremonies. The Romans continued this tradition
by crowning victorious generals and emperors with olive wreaths.
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The
olive is a subtropical, broad-leaved, perennial tree that produces edible
fruit. Its ancestor, oleastro, dates back millions of years. Archaeological
records indicate that olives have been eaten for over 35,000 years, and that
man has cultivated the tree for at least 6,000 years.