The olives of Puglia

From Andria to the Salento peninsula one finds some 60 million olive trees, which shows why the olive is a star player in the life of Italy's Apulia region. Five million of these trees have an age of 100 years or more.

The olive is characterised by its multiple uses. In medicine, in cosmetics, in the kitchen, this plant has proved useful in day-to-day life, and this is something that our ancestors knew well. With roots firmly planted in the earth and trunk wonderfully entwined to create a sort of armour against bad weather, the olive tree is like an invincible warrior.

A visit to the National Museum of Taranto demonstrates how valuable olive oil was considered by the ancients. The museum looks after the sarcophagus of an athlete that includes three precious amphora. At the time of the ancient Athens Olympic Games, the amphora contained oil awarded to the victor. And here is another symbol attached to the olive - that of victory.

Following Roman rule, it was only in the 16th century that the clouds began to disperse for Apulia's economic development. Amongst the Italian states it was the Venetians, thanks to their intense maritime traffic, who opened a profitable oil trade for Apulia.
In art, every painting with a realistic portrait of Apulia's landscapes includes at least one olive tree. What sits in the fore- or background doesn't matter, for the olive is the very identity of Apulia itself.