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LOCAL
GEMS
- Regional Products
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Intensive
flower and olive farming in Liguria
The Ligurian landscape is shaped by rivers, valleys and
peaked mountain ranges. Man has laboriously constructed
terraces to survive in the rough, steep morphology of the
Ligurian landscape. "We have to travel to the foot
of the Himalayas to see a similar landscape." (Verin,
p. 75). A more than one-thousand-year long experience has
led to intensive flower and olive farming in Liguria.
Flower farming was born here around the middle of the last
century and shapes with its rhythm the life of many villages.
Every year about 250 million flowers are cut and tied into
bunches.
The higher you go, the more olive trees you find.
The olive tree, that originally comes from Asia minor, is
today the symbol of Ligurian agriculture. "The olive
groves on the hills behind Imperia were rightly described as
the most beautiful in Italy, and their oil as one of the
best " (Verin, p. 10). In addition the Bajardo
olive oil is, because of the altitude were it is produced (over
800 m) of extraordinary quality.
The particular black olives are called “taggiasche”.
They are renowned for their particular aroma and were made
popular by the Benedictine monks from Taggia - where they
derive their name from- as far back as the 12th century.
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The olive trees grow here
up to 15 m tall- which makes the area particular in
comparison with other Italian regions. Because the height of
an olive tree is considered a particular sign of the ability
of olive farmers.
In ancient times olives were not used only to produce oil,
but also for the production of ointments, salves and
perfumes. Following this ancient tradition, a variety of
products are now
manufactured, such as olive-oil cream or bath gel.
Another particular feature of Liguria are the uncountable
terraces made of dry-stone walls, where nowadays almost
exclusively olive trees are grown. Earlier there were many
other cultivations, too, and up to at least the 16. century,
vineyards were the dominant feature.
Vermentino, Pigato, Rossese, Ormeasco wines are known
all over the world. Just as Ligurian taggiasca olive-oil, so
even Vermentino and Pigato wines go splendidly together with
a good fish dish.
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