History and culture: Agriculture, Landscape

More than two thousand years of olive growing in Tigullio

More than two thousand years of the olive tree in the Tigullio Hills: History and Resilience of a Millenary Cultivation

The hills that reflect on the Gulf of Tigullio have for millennia been characterized by the presence of the olive tree, a plant that has profoundly marked the landscape and agricultural culture of the region.

Ancient Origins of the Olive Tree in the Mediterranean

Scholars of Mediterranean history point to the 4th-3rd millennium BC. the beginning of olive cultivation. This practice, understood as the domestication of the plant and the production of oil, originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, along the Syro-Palestinian coast, and then spread to Egypt and Greece. The first myths linked to the olive tree were born in ancient Greece, such as the dispute between Athena and Poseidon, where Athena won by giving the olive plant to men.

Roman diffusion and expansion in the Mediterranean

The Romans adopted the olive tree, transforming it into a fundamental product for the economy of the time thanks to their policies and territorial expansion. The olive tree thus spread along all the coasts of the Mediterranean, from North Africa to the Pillars of Hercules, from Spain to the entire Italian peninsula.

The Introduction of the Olive Tree in Liguria

In Liguria, the introduction of the olive tree required the construction of terraces to create micro plains and cultivate steep slopes. A significant example is the oldest oil mill in Liguria, located in the Roman Villa of Varignano Vecchio in Portovenere, which testifies to two thousand years of olive cultivation.

Middle Ages and Rebirth of the Olive Tree

After the fall of the Roman Empire, olive cultivation suffered a decline until the Middle Ages, when the monks of the Monastery of San Colombano in Bobbio began to promote olive growing again. These monks, with their monastic cells, reintroduced the olive tree, combining evangelization and agriculture.

Expansion in the Renaissance

In the 14th century, Ligurian olive growing experienced a great expansion thanks to promiscuous crops, where the olive tree was associated with vines and figs, especially along the Chiavari coast. In 1582, the Republic of Genoa established the “Magistrato dell’Abbondanza” to manage the supply of oil, followed in 1593 by the “Magistrato dei Provvisori dell’Olio” to regulate the sector.

Crisis of 1709: The Great Freeze

1709 was a year of devastation for the Ligurian olive groves due to an exceptional frost that destroyed centuries-old olive trees and required about ten years to reclaim and restore production. The ensuing famine caused thousands of deaths and a prolonged crisis, worsened by a second frost in 1713.

Rebirth of olive growing in the 19th century

In 1869, the Agricultural Bulletin of the Chiavari District documented the return of eastern Liguria as a producer of oil, surpassing local consumption. However, between the 19th and 20th centuries, emigration depopulated the Tigullio valleys, causing the abandonment of lands and homes.

Resilience and Modernization of Olive Growing

Despite the difficulties, olive growing resisted abandonment more than other sectors. In the post-war period, while some productions disappeared, olive oil managed to regain ground, thanks to rational distribution and the creation of high quality brands. Two cooperatives bear witness to this resilience: the Olivicoltori Sestresi, founded in 1978, and the Cooperativa Agricola Lavagnina, founded in 1981, which continue to carry forward the experience of generations of olive growers.

The history of the olive tree in the Tigullio hills is a testimony of resilience and adaptation. From its ancient introduction to modern challenges, Ligurian olive growing has been able to reinvent itself, keeping alive an agricultural and cultural heritage that continues to characterize the landscape and economy of the region. in Tigullio

Sources

Viarengo G., “L’Albero della Cuccagna. Paesaggio, alimentazione e cucina nella Liguria di Levante”, Chiavari, Internòs, 2023

Trekking and cycling routes that may interest you

Itineraries of different durations and suitable for every taste and level of preparation, to discover the most beautiful and evocative places and panoramas of the Ligurian Tigullio.