Il Palagio is owned and operated by the Piccini family, and has a total of around 13 hectares of land, of which three and a half hectares are planted with olive trees and the rest with selected grape vines. Monia Piccini Guarducci and her husband run the estate, which besides producing oil and wine, is an agro-tourism bed and breakfast. "Some years ago I began to conduct our family farm together with my parents, my husband and grandparents. The B&B came later. Il Palagio was completely restored by my father, Fabrizio, building contractor who has also built a wonderful wine cellar for our farm. The B&B La Piazzetta, which was built at the beginning of the 80s and completely restored by my father in 2000, is now a modern and inviting bed & breakfast." --Monia Piccini Tuscan Oil Tradition

The oil is made from several different varieties from different areas in Italy. Tuscan olive cultivation appears to have already existed in prehistoric times but with a woodier, untamed growth. In Italy, the first cultivated olive trees were to be found in Sicily due to the expansion of the Greek empire. From this point the olive as we recognize it today, spread rapidly north through the entire peninsula. In the sixteenth century the Tuscan Grand Dukes began exporting olive oil through the port of Livorno. The most common varieties at the time were "fratoio" oil, "moraiolo" oil and "gramignolo" oil. These varieties are still commonly found in Tuscan olive oil production.

The olive tree is well integrated into the Tuscan countryside. "Olea Europea L." is a common strain of the Mediterranean olive plant and grows very successfully in the agricultural system. It is a plant that provides a product that benefits hugely our daily nutrition. The olive tree grows optimally in temperatures that do not drop below 4 or 5 degrees, although it should be noted that the olive tree has adapted itself very successfully to climates where the winter temperature often reaches minus 7 or minus 8! This particular characteristic means that this plant is to be found all over Tuscany also in the colder valleys and higher climes. Of course, these colder temperatures are not without risk to the olive tree and the ice and frost can cause serious damage, especially if the cold comes at the moment that the plant is budding.

Climatic change is therefore an important characteristic feature when considering how a plant will fare in each particular location. Generally speaking, in most of Tuscany the stable temperatures between May and September favors the optimum production of the olives. At the end of May or in the first week of June, the tree blossoms and after this "allegagione" (advancement), the fruit begins to grow and mature. At the end of September as the temperature begins to fall, the maturation of the olives slows down and the content of oil in the fruit stabilizes. This temperature change really controls the growth of the olive which in Tuscany is harvested typically in the month of November. After the harvest, the olive trees "rest" and prepare themselves for the long winter In Tuscan olive oil the distinctive flavor comes from the olives of the "frantoio" tree, the unmistakable perfume from the olives of the "moraiolo" tree and the important vitamins come from the olives of the "leccino" tree. These three different plants are the most commonly found in Tuscany. Of course, there are other varieties like the "pendolino", the "morcaio" and the "morchaio" which are also cultivated in Tuscany and are equally important.

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