Oil mill / The olive: a millennium history

The olive is one of the oldest cultivated plants. The history of olive oil extends back over 6000 years.

For each civilizations that appeared around the Mediterranean basin the olive tree was considered a sacred plant and the extracted oil was used not only as food but also in many religious rituals.

The Egyptians considered olive oil as a gift from the gods, the Phoenicians described it as "liquid gold", whilst the Greeks and the Romans used it for medicinal purposes.

Olive oil as a food source is a pillar stone of the Mediterranean diet.