Reviving the tradition of olive oil production on Capri
- An association for the promotion of olive oil on Capri
- The conservation of historic olive groves
- The use of natural techniques in growing and pressing olives
In times past, olive oil grown and pressed on Capri was considered one of the most prestigious products from the island. During the long and blustery winter months, when Capri was isolated from the mainland by choppy seas and couldn't ship in supplies, the year's olive oil formed the base of the island diet and provided not only precious calories, but also fuel for lamps and goods for trade.
As the island economy shifted to tourism, the tradition of cultivating olive trees began to die, but a few historic olive groves still grew wild in the areas of Mesola, Orrico, and on the slopes of Palazzo a Mare and Mount Tiberius...the most remote points on the island. Today, the "Oro di Capri" association is dedicated to the conservation and promotion of the olive culture on Capri, fostering the natural methods of growing olive trees.
L'Oro di Capri Association has 50 members growing a total of 50,000 olive trees across the island.
The goal of the association is to protect the landscape and ecosystem on Capri while guaranteeing the highest quality olive oil, aiding local growers during the phases of cultivation of the trees and trasformation of the fruit into oil through technical and scientific support by expert agronomers.