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November is olive-picking time in many parts of Italy. In the central Italian region of Umbria, many olive groves open up to visitors who can witness this ancient farming practice. In some cases, visitors are even welcome to take part in this beloved centuries-old ritual that sustains one of the most recognizable products in the world: olive oil.
Catholic visitors to Umbria during the month of November would not be disappointed, as the history of olive oil production in this region is deeply intertwined with that of local monasteries.
Beginning in the 12th century, abbeys and monasteries started to revive olive orchards that had been abandoned following the fall of the Roman Empire and the consequent decrease of Italy's population. Monks from Umbria revived ancient olive groves and developed new ones to supply growing demand for olive oil both within and outside the monastic community.
At the time, olive oil was used as condiment and food preserver as well as an ingredient for sacramental oils and as fuel for votive lamps. It was also used, mixed with wine, to make a medicine known as the “Balsam of the Samaritan,” used for burns and to ease the pain of skin wounds.
Many of the current cultivars found in Umbria, from the Moraiolo, to the Leccino, Frantoio, Rajo, Vocio or the native Saint Felice, were revived and passed down to us by the attentive work of Benedictine and Augustinian monks active in the area.
Every year, in November, the annual olive-picking tradition, done by painstakingly plucking olives from tree branches and gathering them in large nets placed near tree roots, still takes place in monastic settings.
Inside the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Felice in Giano dell'Umbria, where the St, Felice cultivar has been farmed since the 12th century, monks and helpers from nearby villages work together to pick olives manually, following a technique that has stayed the same since the Middle Ages.
Visitors during the month of November can ask to witness part of this ancient farming practice.
The Benedictine Abbey of Montelabate, near Perugia, still produces its own olive oil some 6 centuries after it started its first production. The Abbey is open to visitors during festive days from Monday to Friday at 11 a.m., and visits during olive-picking times can be arranged. Montelabate’s “liquid gold,” as it is sometimes called, can also be purchased at the abbey’s online store.
And the Benedictine nuns of the Monastery of St. Anna still produce olive oil thanks to olives that are hand-picked and processed on the premises of the 700-year-old religious complex. The Abbey is open to visitors and it’s possible to stay overnight as a guest, provided one respects the Benedictine rule of conduct.
In some cases, the close connection between monastic orders and olive-picking is kept alive even outside of abbeys and monasteries. This year, local agriturismo “Le Vecchie Macine” has opened its doors to volunteers to help with the rewarding but laborious task of olive-picking.
Among those who helped out were three nuns from the nearby Benedictine Monastery of St. Anne near Assisi. The three sisters learned olive cultivation techniques as part of their Benedictine training, and, during olive-picking season, traveled to olive groves around the area to offer a literal helping hand.
To find out more about Umbria’s olive harvest locations open to visitors, you can visit the region’s dedicated portal. And for those of you who want to travel vicariously, you can watch this 1954 documentary with amazing real footage from Umbrian olive groves during olive-picking season. Either way, you will come to appreciate the hard work and painstaking care that goes into making Italy’s most beloved condiment.
