The production of extra virgin olive oil on Lake Iseo is a tradition dating back to the Ancient Roman era. Around 2000 years ago, the Romans began bringing olive trees from southern Italy to the area, discovering in Sebino area an ideal location for their cultivation. This was due to the mild microclimate, protected from cold winds by the surrounding mountains, and to the lake’s glacial origin, as the left fertile morainic soil is a perfect environment for olive groves to thrive.
Starting from Vello, near Marone, one of the sunniest areas of the lake, olive cultivation gradually spread to neighbouring villages and throughout the whole lake region, reaching even the first mountains of Camonica Valley and of course the stunning Montisola at the centre of the lake.
During the Middle Ages, monks played a key role in preserving and passing their knowledge of olive oil production to each family, as olive oil was essential not only for cooking but also for lighting public spaces and churches with candles or oil lamps.
Each family traditionally had its own olive production to bring every year to the local oil mill. This practice often continues today: the tradition has actually endured over time, and during the harvest season in late summer and autumn, it's common to see “home harvests” simply while walking through the villages and near the oil mills, you can often see a steady flow of people arriving with their collected olives to deliver or with containers to fill with freshly pressed oil.
The terrain around Iseo Lake is quite difficult to cultivate; the steep slopes and limited space often make manual labour necessary. But despite these difficulties, a few determined individuals, driven above all by passion and love for their land, have organised and created small farms working hard to offer a high-quality olive oil.
Among these local producers, we especially wish to present you the farm La Ruina, led by Diego Turelli, who chose this path from his young age... continue reading
