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The Leivi's olive oil
History and Development in Liguria -
The Olive tree and oil have a strong relationship with human history. 8000 years ago this tree was cultivated in theMiddle East and the first cultivations were probably in Syria and Crete. The Phoenicians developed this kind of cultivation on every Mediterranean coast also in Africa and in Southern Europe. Thanks to the Greeks the cultivations increased in number but only the Romans tried to cultivate the olive trees in their conquered lands. The origins of the olive tree are uncertain and opinions are discordant. According to medieval tradition, the distribution of the plant was developed by the Benedictines. Only in the 16th century did oil production develop as an industry. Olive growing became important for Liguria only in the 19th century when it is beacame the principal activity in some areas like Imperia and Riviera del Levante. Thanks to this cultivation new workplaces and other activities were created. In the 20th century many men and women began to work in factories because of the industrial Revolution. For this reason oil production wasn't so important as before and olives were used for fuel and lands lay fallow for a long time. Only during the second World War did oil production increase.
Today the situation is improving thanks to European Union incentives and to a re-appraisal of our Mediterranean diet.
Leivi is one of the most important oil production centres. Catastal registers dating back to the 17th century prove that a large number of oil mills worked in Leivi.
The Town Council underlines the importance and the quality of the oil of this valley declaring " Leivi the Town of Oil". Leivi wants to promote the growth of the oil industry and every year in July, the town announces a competition for the best extra-virgin oil in the province of Genoa, La Spezia and Tigullio. The extra-virgin olive oil is the basic dressing most widely used in the Mediterranean diet . We can dress salads or season toasted bread. This oil contains antioxidants and many vitamins (A and E), important elements for our health. In comparison with animal fats which are detrimental to our health, vegetable oil prevents and treats our illnesses. Food cooked with olive oil is easily digestible.
You can find the Leivi's oil by the B&B
more infos at the Proloco web site