Azienda Agricola Il Bagolaro

COMPANY HISTORY
This multifunctional business was set up in the early 1950s and is run by a family of YOUNG FARMERS, whose love of the Sabine land and traditions forms the basis of their work. The farm covers about 35 hectares and mainly produces SABINA PDO oil. We follow all the stages of production extremely carefully, up to the point that the olives are processed at our own mill and the oil is finally stored under nitrogen. In addition to oil, we also produce good red grapes that give us an excellent LAZIO TGI wine. We raise farmyard animals such as sheep and pigs, which have enabled us to provision our own AGRITOURISM business since its opening in 2003. At our farmhouse restaurant, where we work in line with local customs and seasonal availability, you can sample some genuine traditional flavours and farm recipes. We undertook an important venture in 2008 with the opening of a small canning workshop, also located on our property. After a few years’ work, we now have a range of about 20 products, including creams, pâté, olive oil preserves, fine jams, flavoured oils, canned fruit, and a chocolate made with olive oil, which now comes in 5 flavours.

THE TERRITORY
Nerola is a charming mediaeval village on the Via Salaria, perched on a high outcrop on the border between the provinces of Rome and Rieti. The village nestles around its ancient and imposing castle, built at the top of the hill overlooking one of the passes by which the ancient Sabines entered the area and then settled on the Tiber plain, founding a number of cities including Cures, their ancient capital. The village is to the north of Rome, and between the River Tiber, the Sabine mountains, the Lucretili mountains, the Rieti valley and the region of Umbria. By ancient tradition, the village derives its name from the famous Roman emperor Nero, whose effigy was adopted as an emblem for the Municipality. As it stands at 450 metres above sea level, Nerola was once considered a strategic stronghold, and was used by defenders of the assets of the Church during the Lombard and Saracen invasions. It was because of these invasions that Benedetto Crescenzi, lord of Nerola, ordered the construction of the splendid castle that still dominates the village. Since its erection in the year 1000, the castle has changed hands many times, becoming the property of the Orsini family in the 15th century. It was the wife of Prince Flavio Orsini, Anna Maria di Tremille, who introduced Nerola Water or “Nerolì” into France in about 1680. This oil extracted from wild orange flowers is still used today in pharmacology and cosmetics. The whole of Sabina is still dominated by olive cultivation, a primary crop that the ancient Sabine people began growing long before the founding of Rome