Anywhere there are traces of the history of mankind, we often find the olive is used as a symbol of peace and value, of fertility and rebirth and its final product, olive oil, has represented a natural element of strength and purification in mythologies, religions and within sacred ceremonies.

In the Bible, the end of the Great Flood is symbolized by the flight of a white dove carrying an olive branch in its beak, a symbol of immense significance and strength.

In ancient Greece, triumphant athletes in the sporting matches were portrayed in friezes with a crown of woven olive branches and they were given an ampulla full of oil that was defined by the poet Homer as, “golden liquid.”

The Romans also rewarded the most valuable citizen leaders by crowning them with olive branches.

The history and development of the culture of oil

The production of olive oil in ancient Rome

The processing of olive oil: the history

The processing of olive oil: the present