The Olive tree in Umbria is one of the few plants, maybe the one, that can be recognized miles off and the one that best represents that region, just think about the branch simbolyzing peace that reminds you of the Faith of San Francesco from Assisi.
All over Umbria the olive trees radical apparatus penetrate deeper in the ground for the particular climate conditions and physical and chemical compositiions of the earth in comparison to other areas of the same latitude and a slower ripening of the fruit.
The rate of acidity for that reason above will result almost low. To those pedo-climatic data just add the human intervention.
The olives harvesting above all : nobody wait anymore for the olive to reach the ripening stage but it is harvested at the last stage before it becomes dark. The half-darkened olive still tastes good, a fruity smell and the minimum level of acidity.
The traditional stripping off (the hand made harvesting by the rakes) are still adopted even though some experimentations for a mechanical harvesting without damaging the plants and the fruits are in progress.
The olive stays in the boxes for a little time, a lot of attention is paid not to send the harvest soon to the oil mill in order to maintain its freshness and integrity and transmit these important qualities to the final product.

The Umbrian D.O.P. Olive Oil

In 1986, within the outline of regional interventions in favour of the Umbrian olive-growing the Co.Re.Ol. "Consorzio Regionale Olio extravergine di oliva tipico umbro" (Regional Association fro the Typical Umbrian Extravirgin Olive Oil) was established in order to obtain a suitable typification and qualification of the Umbrian Oil. Thus, in 1998, after the start of the regional preliminary proceeding, the Protected Denomination of Origin (D.O.P.) "Umbria" was established, that is the only Denomination in Italy covering a whole regional production of oil. This D.O.P. consists of 5 separate sub-areas of production according to the different olive varieties, whose botanical diversification, along with the different pedo-climatic conditions give the exclusive typicalness to the oil of each specific territory.

The sub-areas almost match those of wine production and are listed beneath: - Colli di Assisi (Hills of...) - Spoleto - Colli Martani (Martani Hills) - Colli Amerini (Amerini Hills) - Colli del Trasimeno (Trasimeno lake Hills) - Colli Orvietani (Orvieto Hills) The pedo-climatic and varietal conditions, the yeld as well as agronomical techniques of transformation and preservation are identified for each one of these sub-areas. The Olive Oil productions of the 5 sub-Denominations in fact are mixes of liquids extracted under cold temperature by simple milling of the respective olive varieties.

• Moraiolo: a variety mostly present in the sub-area "Colli di Assisi-Spoleto" (min. 60%). It is a medium sized olive, it has a roundish and pulpy shape and is very rich of a high quality oil. The olive tree is tall, much productive and is preferred by umbrian producers for its constance and cold proof: this feature makes it prefer the high hill elevate positions.

• Frantoio: a medium sized olive tree but it is quite vigorous, with very tortuous and sloping main branches and the secondary ones typically hanging. Its olives are big and pulpy, long ovoid-shaped and great producers of high quality oil. It prefers the slopes of the hills since it cannot resist much under very low temperatures. It is grown within "Colli Martani" area, as well as "Colli Amerini" and in "Colli del Trasimeno" ones. 

• Leccino: a powerful tree with a wide leafage. The olive is almost large, pulpy and cylindrical ovoid-shaped. Though it is not a constant producer tree like Moraiolo nevertheless it resists against cold temperature. It is found for almost the half of the whole production within the "Colli Orvietani" area. · San Felice: a specific variety of "Colli Martani" sub-area , contribuisce, insieme al frantoio e al moraiolo a caratterizzare gli olii ivi prodotti che, si dice, avrebbero specifiche qualità antiossidanti.

• Pendolino: it has a typically pendent shape (hence the name) and a small size. It is mostly a pollinating agent for the varieties "Moraiolo" and "Frantoio", and this helps to forget the ungainly appearance of its sickle-shaped fruits and the modest quality of its oil

• Agogia or Agocia: it is a typical variety of the area; its fruits are frequently added to other varieties as they are particularly sweet. It has a good productivity and can stand the cold; for this reason it can also be grown in the mountain areas.

The Monocultivar "San Felice" from Giano dell’Umbria

As it is overlooked by the enormous massif of the Martano mountain top (1094 m) Giano dell’Umbria lays down on its silent stones like a sentinel who looks after the Umbrian valley. A little far from the village lays the extraordinary romanic architecture of the San Felice Abbey built up by Benedictine monks in 12th century over one of the hills that go down to the plain area from the Martani mountains and merged in a sea made of olive trees.

That link between the plant and the land is one of the most peculiar features of the village. As a matter of fact in Giano the olive tree finds a particularly favourable micro-climate. In 1888 the area tilled with olive groves was nearly of the 50% of the whole land. The two millennial olive trees of Macciano and Camporeggiano still are the witnesses. Nowadays over 700 hectares, 500 farms and 6 oil mills represent the modern size of the Giano olive growing.

There you can grow a local species that provides you with a fruity oil, lightly bitter and with delicate herbaceous hints. The cultivar is named San Felice and that name is taken from the ancient abbey. The monks in fact selected it and preserved it up to nowadays. The less stressed spicy hints of the olive oil in relation to the other Umbrian species like the Moraiolo make it suitable for matching with soups, white meats and dressings to uncooked.

Besides the Olive oil the other excellence productions are: wine (Montefalco DOC and DOCG, Colli Martani DOC), black truffle, honey, saffron, pecorino cheese, Chianina meat. The Commune has been awarded as a Wine village, Oil Village and Bio Village.

The Recipe

Oil Mill style Pork Steaks

Ingredients: 600 gr. of sliced rump, 2eggs; 1 small bunch of minced parsley along with a clove of garlic. ! box of tomatoes purea, 2 spoons of chopped capers, 4 spoons of olive oil, 2 soup-cubes, enough oil for frying salt and pepper, grated bread, white wine.

Preparation: Lightly hit the rump slices. Submerge the meat slices in shaken eggs and turn them over the grated bread. Put a little oil in a pan and put it to fire. As soon as it is hot lean the breadcrumbs-covered slices on there, then, when browned, put them on a sheet of paper so that they loose the excess of oil. Now pour some olive oil in a medium sized pan. Join the capers, the chopped garlic and parsley, let them fry slowly, then add the mashed tomatoes, the two crumbled soup cubes and let them bake for about 10 minutes mixing every now and then. Line the cooked slices up one by one, spray them with white wine and let everything cook again for 20 minutes on a faible flame.

The Events

• Assisi "Caledimaggio" Historical Reconstruction May /FONT>
• Orvieto"Palio dell’oca" Horsemen Contest May
• Spoleto "Festival dei Due Mondi" Art and Culture Festival July
• TreviBlack Celery Fair Trade Exhibition October, 3rd Sunday
• Trevi"I Colori dell’olio" Wine and Food Exhibition November 
• Foligno "Giostra della Quintana" Equestrian Contest in Period Costume June