Garda Olive Oil Festival Highlights Local Production and Heritage

Torri del Benaco – Olive Oil Festival
The Olive Oil Festival, held from January 28 to 29, is an integral part of the program agreement with the Region “Christmas among the Olives”, realized in cooperation with the Veneto Region. It represents one of the most significant moments in the sector within the entire provincial scene. Organized by the Municipality of Torri del Benaco, in collaboration with Coldiretti, the Comunità Montana del Baldo, the Garda Community, and the Province, the event consists of two components: the conference (Sala Consiliare), where olive growers and industry experts exchange ideas, and the exhibitions (Sala Mostre of the Castello di Torri).

During these two days, aimed at promoting a product so important and qualifying for the entire Garda area, olive plants of the varieties requested by the DOP mark—namely Casaliva and Leccino—are distributed. This initiative is intended to encourage the presence of plants that can lead to olive oil production within the DOP standards.

The Role of the Olive Tree in the Garda Area

Beyond its economic implications, the olive tree plays a key role in characterizing and safeguarding the landscape around the lake. It not only imparts a particular sweetness but also helps slow the continuous erosion of soils. An evidence of the olive’s importance and of oil in the Garda economy is the Olive Museum located in Cisano di Bardolino.

Here, visitors can find machinery, mostly wooden, used in the processing: lever presses, mostly used in the lower part of the lake (relics from Cavaion, Cisano, Bardolino, and Lazise), and oil presses (“strettoi”), more typical of the upper Garda lake area.

A section reconstructs a mid-19th-century oil mill, powered by water, which exploited the many streams descending from Monte Baldo. The mill is fully operational. Exhibited alongside are tools from the mill, such as the traditional carved stone containers used for storing olive oil (called “centenari,” used in the Garda and Veronese areas instead of terracotta containers commonly used elsewhere), along with objects like decanting jars and oil lamps, representing the various uses of olive oil: domestic, cosmetic, and lighting.

The exhibits are complemented by explanatory tables illustrating harvesting and production processes. Another room in the Castello di Torri del Benaco Museum is dedicated to olive growing.

Production and Protection of Garda Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garda’s extra virgin olive oil is among the best in Italy, excellent as a cold condiment and appreciated for its resistance to high cooking temperatures. Its DOP-certified production is protected by a control body established by the producers: the Consorzio Tutela Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva D.O.P. Orientale, based in Bardolino.

With L.R. 268/1999, which establishes the wine and oil routes, the Garda DOP Olive Oil Road was created. The list of participating farms offering direct sales of the product is available at the IAT information offices, on the website www.aptgardaveneto.com, and will soon be published in the map of the Wine and Oil Routes, upcoming for release.