Going up the Lamone River valley leading from Faenza to Florence, we reach the Brisighella oil production area.

During archaeological excavations carried out in the 1950s, a rudimentary olive press was found 4 km from Brisighella, dating from the 2^nd century AD, suggesting that olive trees have been grown in the Lamone Valley since ancient times and that they might have been a key source of life and trade.

Many writings and legal texts document this cultivation, and authors often praise the qualities of Brisighella oil, for example, the 19^th-century historian Antonio Metelli, who writes: ‘In Brisighella, the olive trees always bear such perfect fruit that a very fine oil drips from them’

Other proof of the large-scale cultivation of olives in this area can be found in historical documents, literary works and notarial deeds from the 15^th century onwards. More recent testimonials can be found in the work Le condizioni industriali della provincia di Ravenna 1888-1898 (‘The industrial conditions of the province of Ravenna, 1888-1898’) in the Historical Archive of Italian Industry, where news is reported about olive production and the flourishing processing industry in the municipality of Brisighella and province of Ravenna. Another interesting work is the Guida commerciale ed industriale della provincia di Ravenna (‘Commercial and industrial guide to the province of Ravenna’) (1913-1914), which says: Approximately seventy thousand olive trees are cultivated in this area of just three hundred hectares, mainly on the southern slope, on terraces or scattered over hillocks and valleys sheltered from the Tramontana winds.

Turning back to the present day, let’s explain the distinctive characteristics of this oil, deriving from the strong link with the nature of the production environment.

The two native olive varieties called Nostrana di Brisighella are the result of natural selection over the centuries and account for 80% of total production, while the varieties Ghiacciola and Colombina account for 5% each.

These native varieties are perfectly adapted to the climate and soil, and their physiology prevents attacks from the olive fruit fly, a parasite that is extremely harmful to the oil.

The Apennine environment experiences slight temperature variations between day and night during the olive ripening period, encouraging the accumulation of finer aromas in the fruit, making this oil unique in its category.

This typicity, this well-defined growing area, the historical documentation attesting to the quality of the oil since ancient times and the recent studies carried out by researchers from various universities, gave the producers enough material to jointly produce an application dossier. They submitted this to the competent authorities as per the rules in Italian Law 162/92 and thus obtained the protected designation of origin for Brisighella oil under Regulation (EC) No 1263 of 01/07/1996 on the registration of geographical indications.