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Olive oil.
Say it, moving your mouth, but not emitting a sound.
It looks like your are saying, “I Love Oil”.
Well, if it is oil, as in olive oil…I do love it!
I will admit, I never knew a lot about what makes one olive oil better than another. Last year, standing in the olive oil section of a grocery store in Athens, I was stumped. I needed some to bring home, but I had no ideas as to which one was better than the next. Finally, a kindly older gentleman took pity on me and helped me pick out a couple of bottles. Situation solved on that trip.
But, yes, I definitely needed an olive oil education!
So, when my friend texted me and asked if I would be interested in joining her on an olive oil tour while we were both in Rome, of course, I said YES!
Heading out into to cold, wet May afternoon, it didn’t quite seem as though we were nearing the Italian summer months. Still, we had a plan and the wet stuff was not going to hamper our good time!
From the Tiburtina station, we caught a train to Fara Sabina where we would meet our tour guide, Johnny Madge, a Brit who has lived in the area since the early 80’s. A former marble sculptor, he has evolved into a world class olive oil judge after buying a farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove and learning everything he could about the small oval fruit.
Johnny, a good natured gentleman, first took us for a coffee (to help perk us up a bit) and then we headed out onto the small, dirt roads of the Italian countryside. Since the skies were growing darker by the minute, we decided to first head to the tree that bears the title of the Oldest Olive Tree in Europe…there are signs along the way to prove it, though the Olive Tree of Vouves in Crete would probably disagree!
This tree sits in the yard of one of the locals…not in an olive grove as you might expect. It was conveyed that owner will sometimes come out and say hello (anticipating a few coins for his trouble), but on this day, I am guessing that the weather kept him inside.
We ventured through his yard, passing his pet peacocks and his prized pizza oven (doesn’t every Italian have one in their yard?) and to through the small stone wall which protects the area around the gigantic tree, which is said to be about 2,000 years old and still productive. This tree’s girth is so large that it takes about five people to hug it and is hollow in the inside. The massive branches are so heavy and tall that the owner has taken some steps to give it some stability.
Continuing on our journey, we stopped at a nearby olive grove and inspected a mere baby…only 500 years old. Also, hollow, it provided for some fun souvenir photos!
Johnny was a wealth of information and continually pulled over to the side of the road to show us different herbs and flowers that are native to the region. It was amazing to realize how much someone can glean from the land…something us city folks don’t often think about!
Because it was a Sunday, we were unable to visit the places where the olives are sorted and made into olive oil, a little disappointing, but expected. As we pulled into the parking lot of one particular place of business, Johnny explained the pruning and picking process to us and how the olives are pressed into olive oil. He further went on to explain how the determination is made as to whether an olive oil is categorized as extra virgin or not…something I never knew!
Driving onward on the winding roads, we looked up on the ridge of the mountainside at the beautiful town of Toffia, with is church standing proudly at the highest point and a grotto devoted to the Blessed Virgin down below in the valley.
Driving to the entrance gate, we were able to snap a few photos as the rain came down upon us.
Next stop was the small town of Farfa. Bordered by olive groves on either side, this picturesque village with unique boutiques, quaint restaurants and pretty houses is also home to one of the most famous abbeys in Europe, belonging to the Benedictine Order. Entering the abbey, I wasn’t aware of its status at the time, but I knew it was something special…unlike anything I had seen anywhere before. The cathedral was divided into three naves and every surface covered in beautiful friezes, with a stunning lunette representing the Virgin and the Child in the middle. Several chapels line the exterior walls and the interior wall of the facade showcases a large canvas of Last Judgment (1571) by Flemish painter Henrik van der Broek.
Such an important, historic place, several kings (including Charlemagne), emperors and Popes (including most recently Pope John Paul II, 19th May 1993) have visited the Abbey throughout the centuries.
Guided tours are offered on in Italian every day except on Mondays and would be a great way to see all parts of the church, including the crypt entrance and the archaeological museum if you have the time as well as the surrounding grounds.
Wandering around the village we stepped into many of the artisan’s shops inspecting their beautifully hand-made wares…of course, Mother’s Day was coming up and some tea towels to wrap around olive oil bottles was a must!
Finally, with the sun getting lower in the afternoon sky, we headed to the town of Montopoli. It was here at a local pizza restaurant, where we finally sat with Johnny to have an olive oil tasting. Explaining to us how to slurp the oil to the back of our throats, it was there that we were looking for a burn, thus giving us the knowledge that it was indeed, extra virgin. Sampling three different olive oils with our delicious meal was the something new to me…I never thought that I could drink olive oil straight, something very good for us Johnny explained and I never realized how differently olive oil could taste.
With full bellies, we packed up our belongings into Johnny’s van and headed back to the Fara Sabina train station for our ride into the still wet Rome but with a greater knowledge of Italy’s olive oil!
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Johnny Madge
Benedictine Abbey of Farfa
- http://www.abbaziadifarfa.com/
- Address: Via del Monastero, 1, 02032 Castelnuovo di Farfa RI, Italy
- Hours: 1000-1900. Guided tours are performed hourly every day except on Monday from 1000 to 1300 and from 1530 to 1830 (Sat. and Sun. 1500-1900 during Summer)
- Admission: free