Azienda Agricola e Frantoio Battaglini - Via Cassia, Km 111,700 - 01023 BOLSENA - VT - Italia

 Tel.e Fax: +39 0761 79.88.47 - e-mail: oliodibolsena@frantoiobattaglini.it

Myths, legends and symbols

As reported in the Greek mythology, a contest was carried out between Athena and Poseidon for the ownership of Attica. The divinities addressed to Cecrope, king of that land and founder of Athens, who promised the palm of victory the winner of the contest. Poseidon struck a rock with his trident so that a salt-water spring rose up in the place where the Acropolis was to be built and the first horse was created from the depths of the earth. But it was Athena who simply gained the victory by planting the first olive tree. Later on, a sacred olive tree was planted on the Acropolis as to represent the symbols of goddess. Another myth reports that Heracles carried the olive tree from the country of the Hyperborean. Heracles created the Olimpic Games: the winners were crowned with a small branch of olive as a symbol of their strength placed at the divinities’ disposal.

In the Old Testament, Noah sent a dove to fly all over the world when the waters of the Flood began to decrease. The dove came back keeping a small branch of olive in its beak as a sign that the waters had receded from earth. In this way the small branch of olive became this way the symbol of rebirth and peace among the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims.

 According to a medieval legend, an olive tree grew over Adam’s tomb. The branch of olive given to Noah by the dove originated from this plant, the wood of which was used for the cross of Christ.

On Palm Sundays a blessed branch of olive is carried home as a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ and reconciliation with God.

The Koran affirms: “ God is the light of the sky and of the earth. His light is the light of a lamp, placed in a niche and preserved in a crystal vase. The blessed olive tree twinkles like a star, which is neither to the East nor to the West. Its oil will shine upon the world even without flame”.

(from "Erbario" by A. Cattabiani)

Uses of Olive Oil

Since past times the olive oil has been used in serveral ways. Besides its alimentary use, the oil was considered precious goods for exchange, a natural medicine and fuel for torches and lamps. The custom of oiling the fighers’ body with oil and crowning the winners with an olive wreath is derived from its symbolic concept of strength and vitality. The therapeutic properties of oil is well known. Much of the research about olive oil has proved that its has an effect on the normalization of blood pressure and on the level of haematic cholesterol. It has also been proved that the diets based on olive oil have a salutary effect on the treatment of insuline-resistant diseases. The digestive properties of olive oil are well known, the mono-unsaturated fatty acids stimulate the movement of the gastic juices and they also have important effects on the biliary function.

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