Cooperativa Agricola l’Olio di Blera

COMPANY HISTORY
The Consortium was founded by members of the Sabina PDO Consortium, with the participation of the Sabina Manufacturers’ Consortium, in order to market the Sabina PDO oil promoted at the Sabine olive fair.

TYPE OF COMPANY
This is a Co-operative Society with a 3-person Board of Directors, from among whom the Chairman is chosen. The 150 members supply the Cooperative with their entire olive crop. The resulting production of extra virgin olive oil goes primarily to meeting the needs of members and their families, while the surplus is sold.

THE TERRITORY
The associate olive-farms are all situated around Blera and neighbouring villages. This is a hilly area, with an altitude not exceeding 400 metres above sea level. As the crow flies, it is only 15 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea, and so enjoys a Mediterranean climate. These are excellent conditions for olive cultivation, added to which the soil structure is also ideal for the development of the fruit (clay-loam soil, with a high content of stones and minerals).

Cultural and natural attractions in the area
The entire territory is part of a Special Protection Zone called the Tolfetano-Cerite-Manziate Area, a Nature 2000 site protected under the Habitats Directive. From the cultural point of view, the main attraction is the old town, a typical mediaeval village perched on a tuff spur. There are also many examples of Etruscan necropolises and acropolises, the subject of excavations by the King of Sweden and his team of archaeologists since the early 1900s.