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Trajan’s Olive Oil, proÂduced from ancient trees neglected for cenÂturies in Civitavecchia, will be preÂsented today. The restoraÂtion project aims to revive the area, proÂmote olive oil culÂture, and supÂport local agriÂculÂture, with plans to marÂket the oil under a Rome PGI label.
Freshly proÂduced Trajan’s Olive Oil will be forÂmally preÂsented today in Civitavecchia, a coastal city north of Rome.
The extra virÂgin olive oil, named after the Roman Emperor who presided over its most sigÂnifÂiÂcant milÂiÂtary expanÂsion, is proÂduced from the olives of hunÂdreds of ancient trees which had been neglected for cenÂturies.
(This) iniÂtiaÂtive is revivÂing the long-neglected area of the city into a green and lively one, with enviÂronÂmenÂtal and eduÂcaÂtional impliÂcaÂtions.
So far, 30 hectares of olive trees have been restored in and around the city, a chalÂlengÂing effort due to the uneven slopes and the thickÂness of the vegÂeÂtaÂtion that has freely grown among the olive trees for years. Workers have 50 hectares still to address.
“When you look at those trees, you canÂnot recÂogÂnize a clear culÂtiÂvaÂtion patÂtern; there is no traÂdiÂtional olive grove set up here,” Angelo Murri, an agronÂoÂmist and miller at the OP Latium proÂducer orgaÂniÂzaÂtion, told Olive Oil Times.
See Also:Farmers in Lazio Kick Off Harvest at Emperor Hadrian’s Estate“The reaÂson is the rocky nature of the land,” he added. ​“We can assume many of those trees were planted where they could grow; othÂers have probÂaÂbly spread natÂuÂrally as the cenÂturies went by.”
Murri is among sevÂeral local experts coopÂerÂatÂing in the new project launched by UniversitĂ Agraria, a pubÂlic-interÂest land-manÂageÂment orgaÂniÂzaÂtion.
“Our goal is to give new opporÂtuÂniÂties to a younger genÂerÂaÂtion of farmÂers and food and cookÂing stuÂdents while also boostÂing the olive restoraÂtion project, proÂmotÂing extra virÂgin olive oil culÂture and the local food speÂcialÂties,” Stefano De Paolis, owner of Tenuta del Gattopuzzo and Trajan’s Olive Oil project manÂager, told Olive Oil Times.
The refÂerÂence to the name of the Roman Emperor comes from the hisÂtoric nature of the olive grove and the ubiqÂuiÂtous presÂence of Trajan’s legacy in the region.
Trajan ruled at the end of the first cenÂtury CE. He built the port that transÂformed Civitavecchia into a hub of Roman comÂmerce. The port remains among the most relÂeÂvant in the European Union.
Constructed over an earÂlier Etruscan setÂtleÂment, the ancient city was named Centum Cellae (“The hunÂdred rooms,” in Latin), which is believed to be linked to the remarkÂable size of the villa that Trajan had built near the port.
Trajan’s name has also been assoÂciÂated with the local Roman baths and the neighÂborÂing garÂdens. A statue of the Roman ruler still greets visÂiÂtors in Civitavecchia headÂing toward the sea.
However, the bonds of a comÂplex bureauÂcracy regardÂing land manÂageÂment and the staÂtus of Civitavecchia as a seaÂport hinÂdered the restoraÂtion projects for many years, as pubÂlic attenÂtion and fundÂing were mainly dedÂiÂcated to develÂopÂing the supÂply and logisÂtics infraÂstrucÂture.
“In a city like this, domÂiÂnated by indusÂtry, Trajan’s Olive Oil iniÂtiaÂtive aims to supÂport a new approach to local agriÂculÂture, fosÂterÂing olive research and olive oil qualÂity and partÂnerÂing with local schools, olive growÂers and millers,” De Paolis said.
“In such an enviÂronÂment, the UniversitĂ Agraria iniÂtiaÂtive is revivÂing the long-neglected area of the city into a green and lively one, with enviÂronÂmenÂtal and eduÂcaÂtional impliÂcaÂtions,” he added.
In the past decades, small porÂtions of Mandrione Park, where some of the olive groves are located, have spoÂradÂiÂcally been harÂvested by locals who are entiÂtled to the olives of cerÂtain trees.
“When we first arrived, we did not expect to find such old trees,” Murri said. ​“They are livÂing monÂuÂments which in some cases had grown up to 20 meters, with the highÂest branches proÂtrudÂing upwards, endÂlessly reachÂing for the sun while the lower porÂtions grew mixed with the surÂroundÂing vegÂeÂtaÂtion.”
“This is an extraÂorÂdiÂnary herÂitage, with very ancient trees whose value goes way beyond the ecoÂnomic impliÂcaÂtions of olive proÂducÂtion,” De Paolis added. ​“After a few years of work, we have finally been able to proÂceed with the first experÂiÂmenÂtal harÂvest.”
Due to the culÂtiÂvaÂtion and proÂducÂtion methÂods, Trajan’s Olive Oil meets the requireÂments to be cerÂtiÂfied as a Rome PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) olive oil.
In front of those broad old trees, Murri and his colÂleagues map the restored porÂtions of the olive grove, idenÂtiÂfyÂing the olive variÂeties and their quanÂtiÂties.
See Also:Olive Oil Production Revived in The Former Papal States“From our first surÂveys, we can say that there are, on averÂage, approxÂiÂmately 50 to 60 olive trees per hectare for a total of more than 2,000 trees,” Murri said.
While most of the olive variÂeties are usuÂally grown in the region, such as Canino, Leccino and Moraiolo, about 40 perÂcent of the grove comÂprises the much rarer Sirole culÂtiÂvar. All of the variÂeties are included in the Rome PGI.
Murri added that most of the surÂveyed trees are cenÂturies old. ​“While a thorÂough analyÂsis should be carÂried out to have a preÂcise deterÂmiÂnaÂtion, I say that there are many 700 to 800 years old,” with the posÂsiÂbilÂity of some being more than 1,000 years old.
For varÂiÂous reaÂsons, harÂvestÂing the olives has been a dauntÂing task. They almost excluÂsively grow on the highÂest parts of the canopy, inexÂtriÂcaÂbly mixed with abunÂdant branches and other vegÂeÂtaÂtion.
“We could not proÂceed with any conÂvenÂtional method,” Murri said. ​“There were so many leaves and dry branches in the lower porÂtions.”
However, Bolsena, a local agribusiÂness, supÂplied the iniÂtiaÂtive with its olive shaker. ​“Then they sepÂaÂrated the olives from the dry branches to avoid bringÂing tons of wood to the mill,” Murri added.
Even after the first experÂiÂmenÂtal harÂvest was conÂducted, the parÂties behind the iniÂtiaÂtive are already lookÂing ahead at work to be done before the 2023 harÂvest.
“That is the real chalÂlenge, to restore those ancient trees and bring them back to proÂducÂtion,” Murri said. ​“Pruning must be carÂried out with a very delÂiÂcate approach to mainÂtain the extraÂorÂdiÂnary nature of the trees, workÂing to lower the green canopy bit by bit.”
“The harÂvest will always need a shaker,” he added. ​“The good thing is that the trees are healthy and have strong roots that have grown for cenÂturies.”
The first 10 days of the experÂiÂment harÂvest proÂduced 2,500 kiloÂgrams of olives. ​“It is so litÂtle when you think of the numÂber and dimenÂsion of the trees, but the harÂvestÂing has been a highly comÂplex operÂaÂtion,” De Paolis said.
“Still, both the growÂers and ourÂselves have acquired some expeÂriÂence now, and the youngÂsters who worked with us have also benÂeÂfited from a beauÂtiÂful and natÂural expeÂriÂence,” he added.
The Rome PGI labels will allow UniversitĂ Agraria to marÂket the new extra virÂgin olive oil with a highly recÂogÂnizÂable logo feaÂturÂing the Colosseum.
“It is part of a stratÂegy to give Trajan’s extra virÂgin olive oil botÂtles the conÂtext they need to appeal to cusÂtomers,” De Paolis said.
“A series of events are also planned from December to involve local culiÂnary stuÂdents and present the extra virÂgin olive oil to conÂsumers, exporters and food experts to give value to the unique conÂnecÂtion among local food speÂcialÂties, agriÂculÂtural opporÂtuÂniÂties, hisÂtory and global marÂkets,” he conÂcluded.