It is said that Ulysses blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus with an olive trunk, and the olive tree is considered sacre.
Sicily, being the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, has a rich agricultural tradition with a variety of crops grown.
In the area, Olive cultivation extent in a much greater tension than in the rest of Italy and it is so intertwined with its food tradition, that it is told that l’Olivo da mensa was the first fermented vegetable food produced for human.
In Sicily, cultivation extends throughout the entire territory, with 4 important areas. One is in the Catania area, on the slopes of Etna and in the foothill municipalities of Adrano, Paternò and Biancavilla, where Nocellara dell’Etna is grown.
A second area is located between the Nebrodi and Peloritani mountains, in the province of Messina, more precisely in the municipalities of Sant’Angelo di Brolo and Castell’Umberto, where the prevalent cultivars are the Nocellara messinese and the Minuta.
The third is in the Ragusa area with the Moresca and Tonda Iblea cultivations. Finally, a quarter is in the Valle del Belice. Sicily is one of Italy’s leading regions for olive production, a truly peculiar example. (Redazione)
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