Olive grove at the Colosseum, Coldiretti produces Rome IGP oil and welcomes tourists

To welcome the 7.5 million tourists ready to return with the post Covid restart to the Colosseum, which is the most visited monument in Italy, there is the first oasis of 189 olive trees for the extra virgin olive oil of ancient Rome. This was announced by Coldiretti who, in collaboration with Unaprol, carried out tree care and olive harvesting at the Colosseum Archaeological Park in full respect of their landscape role and historical context, with the production of a unique oil in the world. This is the first initiative of 2021 that combines culture and food and wine for the restart of tourism and the new openings of borders thanks to the vaccination green pass. This was reported by the agricultural organization on the occasion of the green light for the first denomination “Olio di Roma” which reinforces the world leadership of Made in Italy in the production of quality extra virgin olive oil thanks to the greater number of denominations recognized in Europe (43 DOP and 4 Igp) and the largest treasure of biodiversity in the world with Italy that can count on 533 varieties of olives against just 70 of the Spaniards who have a mass production almost six times higher. The oil production identified by a special “Palatinum” label is inspired by an ancient drawing of a mosaic floor of the Casa dei Grifi on the Palatine. The initiative to enhance the historical link between oil production and the ancient Romans takes place after the publication in the Official Gazette of the national go-ahead for the transitional protection of the name Olio di Roma for which registration with the European Commission was requested as Protected Geographical Indication. The name Olio di Roma Igp – underlines Coldiretti – will cover 316 municipalities in Lazio: 107 in the territory of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, 27 in the province of Latina, 35 in the province of Rieti, 60 in the province of Viterbo, 87 in the province of Frosinone for a total production of about 75,000 tons of olives and 10,550 tons of oil each year, for a total economic value of almost 52 million euros.