The olive is enjoying a surge in popularity, so it’s the right time to talk about  olive oil production. The Mediterranean diet, which uses oil from olives as its principal fat, is being touted by health professionals, dieticians and fitness instructors around the world. Italians have been attuned to the wonders of olives and olive oil for centuries.

In fact, the oldest living olive tree in Europe, which is certified to be over 2,400 years in age and is protected by the European Union, is located just north of Rome. The tree, with a trunk circumference of seven meters, stands on a private property in Canneto in Sabina.