In the heart of the Viterbo Tuscia, Vetralla is one of those places where extra virgin olive oil is not just a product: it is part of the local culture and history. Its hills, with soils of volcanic origin and a favourable climate, offer ideal conditions for the olive tree, in particular for the Caninese variety.
A tradition that comes from far back
The olive-growing history of Vetralla has its roots in Etruscan and Roman times. The Etruscans, who inhabited this area long before Rome, already knew how to cultivate the olive tree, and the Romans made it a central element of agriculture and diet. Since then the olive tree has remained a constant presence in the economy and identity of the territory, handed down from generation to generation by local families. Growing olives, here, is an ancient act that continues to this day, with the same seasonal rhythms as ever.
The role of the Caninese
The cultivar that best tells the story of Vetralla is the Caninese: the native olive of the Viterbo Tuscia, the basis of the area’s most representative oils and of the PDO Tuscia. It is a variety that has been selected over the centuries precisely on these soils, developing good resistance and a recognisable sensory profile, with medium fruitiness and vegetal notes. Growing and processing techniques have refined over time, but the bond with the land and the value placed on local varieties remain at the centre of the work.
Vetralla and PDO Tuscia
The territory falls within PDO Tuscia, the designation that protects the quality of the extra virgin olive oil produced here and certifies its origin. It is not a simple geographical label: it is a system of rules and controls that ties the oil to the varieties, the farming practices and the production area. For anyone looking for a genuine product linked to its context, it is one more guarantee, because it ensures that behind the name of a territory there really is that territory.
More than a food
In Vetralla, oil is a collective story, made of landscape, agricultural know-how and continuity over time. It is the thread that links the generations who have tended these groves and who continue to do so. It is the same story that, since 1919, we have carried on at Frantoio Cesare Battisti, putting local olives and respect for the land that produces them at the centre. Would you like to taste the Caninese oil of Vetralla? You will find it in our shop, or get in touch to get to know the mill.