The Oil Trail
The area crossed from north to south by the Sele river offers unique landscapes and naturalistic views. Just think of the numerous protected oases: Monte Polveracchio, Monti Picentini Regional Park, Persano Oasis, Monti Eremita and Marzano Natural Reserve, the Contursi hydrothermal springs. Walking through this area you can appreciate the richness of an area particularly suited to the cultivation of olive trees.
Here it is still possible to admire centuries-old olive trees of great size. Eight municipalities fall within the Upper and Middle Mountain Community. Sele: Countryside, Castelnuovo di Conza, Colliano, Contursi, Laviano, Oliveto Citra, Santomenna and Valva.
The oil is certainly one of the oldest products of this land that since 1997 is part of the DOP Colline Salernitane area. Full-bodied, as if to remember the structure of these mountains. Yellow-green in color, decided to smell with hints of clean olive fruit.
Presents notes of green leaf and unripe tomato. The taste is bitter and spicy with hints of artichoke, thistle and bitter vegetables.
The provincial olive-grower consortium has estimated that the slice of olive grove is 5,651.97 hectares for a total of 737,187 existing plants and 452,008 in production, net of abandoned, wooded or uncollected plants.
The main varieties of olive trees are: the Carpellese, the Frantoio, Rotondella, Leccino, Femminella, Olivine and the Coratina.
It is possible to visit the processing facilities, 23 in all available for educational itineraries in order to understand the processes of oil production, to observe the passage from iron tools, to press, up to mechanical ones and to buy the product on site. 14 plants remain at the traditional level, only 9 in a continuous cycle. The average annual production is 164.525,12 quintals of olives. In oil instead, the annual yield is equal to 36.540,34 quintals.
More unique than rare bottling and marketing structures. The cultivations extend for 63% in municipalities located in inland mountain areas, the others are distributed between hills and foothills.
The mechanization of operations is possible only for 55.2% of the plants, while the remaining part is accessible only to the work of the workers. These are mostly clayey, calcareous and sandy soils. The prevailing form of cultivation is with an open vase, followed by the bushy, natural-shaped, polyphonic and globe-shaped models.
Diletta DE SIO
Journalist
Five days delighted by the fragrance of the oil
TO VISIT
1st DAY OLEVANO ON THE TUSCIANO
Dominican Convent, Lombard Castle, Monumental Grotto of the Angel Cave, Archaeological Area of Santa Maria a Corte. COUNTRYSIDE: Santa Maria della Pace Cathedral, Augustinian Convent, Santa Maria di Avigliano Convent, Bernalla Palaces, Pastor Alinante, Viviani and Ducale, Oasis of Serre Persano and Monte Polveracchio
2nd DAY CONTURSI TERME
Church of the Bambino Gesù, Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, Church of the Carmine, Historical center, Grotta del Rosario, Archaeological site of Isca Ferrigno
3rd DAY OLIVE TREES CITRA
Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Castle, Necropolis, Archaeological museum, Archaeological site of Civita. COLLIANO: Early Christian Basilica, Mother Church of the Saints Pietro e Paolo, from San Martino, the historic center of Colliano and Collianello, the Norman Castle, the archaeological area of Bisigliano
4th DAY VALVA
Historic center, Villa Valva d’Ayala, Castle, Caves of San Michele. LAVIANO: Ruins of the Mother Church of the Assumption, of the Swabian-Norman Castle, Spagarino Woods, Monte Faito, Natural Protection Oasis and Natural Research of the Eremita and Marzano Mountains
5th DAY SANTOMENNA
Mother Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Ruins of the Capuchin Convent, Palazzo de ‘Ruggeri, City Museum. CASTELNUOVO DI CONZA: Archaeological sites, Castello di Sant’Ilarione
