Abruzzo, Land of Olive Trees & Evergreen Landscapes

Editor’s note: Our sincere thanks to olive oil expert Simona Cognoli for her help with this story.

Gran Sasso photo credit Sterling Lanier

Set in the central-eastern part of Italy, Abruzzo is a region blessed with a privileged geographical and environmental position: the snow-capped peaks of the Apennine Mountains, such as Maiella and Gran Sasso, embrace it from the inland, followed by gentle hills sloping away to overlook the Adriatic Sea. The regional surface hosts three national parks, a marine protected area, a regional park, and over thirty nature reserves. A true paradise for sport and nature walks, the region also boasts a rich and glorious gastronomic heritage.

This unique natural ecosystem creates favorable climatic conditions for diverse agriculture, including wheat, wine, and olive oil. Known as the “land of olive trees,” Abruzzo has practiced olive cultivation since ancient times, shaping an evergreen landscape punctuated by glimpses of the sea and mountains. Local olive oil was renowned even in Roman times for its exceptional quality, as Latin authors Virgil and Ovid mentioned, and still evidenced by the remains of ancient trappeti (from trapetum, the term for an olive mill).

Even today, olive oil production remains a cornerstone of the region’s agricultural economy, home to one of Italy’s richest olive-growing heritages. Over 80 olive varieties are cultivated in Abruzzo, yielding extra virgin oils with distinct aromas and flavors. The century-old olive trees scattered throughout the region, alongside younger plantations, cover a vast area of 40,000 hectares. With 293 active olive mills, Abruzzo ranks as Italy’s fifth most productive region according to ISMEA, 2024.

The Olive Growing Heritage

Masciantonio olives

Among the most appreciated native varieties is the dritta, originally from the Maiella mountain area and predominantly found in the province of Chieti. Known for its resistance to disease and cold, the dritta produces oil with medium to intense fruitiness, featuring grassy and fresh almond notes and a spicy aftertaste. Its pronounced bitterness and pungency pairs perfectly with hearty flavors like meat, vegetables, and aged cheeses. A drizzle of this oil is almost mandatory on “sagne e fasciul” (a traditional Abruzzese pasta made from water and flour, cooked with beans).

As its name suggests, the gentile di Chieti is a typical variety of the Chieti province, thriving on the gentle hills near the sea. It yields well-balanced oil, with hints of grass, artichoke, and apple, making it versatile for culinary use, from simple salads to the more flavorful brodetto di pesce (a fish stew typical of coastal areas, whose recipe changes along the Adriatic coast).

Other widespread varieties include the cold-resistant leccino cultivated in foothill areas and the generous frantoio. Lesser-known varieties include the tortiglione, with its vegetal and spicy flavors, ideal for meat tartares and aged cheeses; the Castiglionese, with tomato and aromatic herb notes, suitable for fish dishes, legume soups, and vegetables; and the intosso, whose intensely grassy and pungent notes enhance bold traditional recipes such as the fried meatballs immersed in tomato sauce for timbales and homemade pasta dishes.

Three geographical quality certifications protect Abruzzo’s olive oil, requiring the cultivation of specific native varieties. The Aprutino Pescarese PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)—amongst the first PDO designations recognized in Italy back in the Nineties—includes dritta, leccino, and toccolana varieties and covers several municipalities in the Pescara province.

Gentile di Chieti and leccino define the Colline Teatine PDO, spanning from Chieti to the sea. Lastly, leccino, frantoio, and dritta, along with minor varieties like tortiglione, carboncella, and Castiglionese, form the Pretuziano delle Colline Teramane PDO (from the Latin ager Praetutianus, meaning “Pretutian countryside,” referencing the fertile lands inhabited by the ancient Italic Pretuzi people), which includes the Teramo province.

Small Business, Great Olive Oils

Masciantonio olive trees

In recent years, many small- to medium-sized businesses have invested in high-quality production, enhancing traditional olive groves that preserve historic varieties and the beauty of natural landscapes.

Just a few minutes drive from the picturesque village of Casoli (in the Colline Teatine area), the family’s ancient farmhouse and the olive mill of Tommaso Masciantonio overlook the Maiella massif. In the early 2000s, Tommaso began bottling extra virgin olive oil from the Intosso variety – previously used mainly as table olives – helping to promote and establish, together with other nearby companies, a distinctive local oil tradition. At his farm Trappeto di Caprafico, Tommaso’s work also extends to other extra virgin oils made from the crognale and gentile di Chieti varieties, as well as wine production focusing on native grape varieties like pecorino, passerina, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: all grown organically, just like the olive trees that soften the mountain landscape.

Frantoio Tini

A similar commitment underlines Roberta Di Luigi’s work at Frantoio Tini, a family business located in Castilenti, a small ancient village nestled in the rolling hills of Teramo at the foot of the peaky Gran Sasso. With great care in both the olive groves and her own mill, Roberta produces a line of organic extra virgin oils named after major Italian artists. These include tintoretto, from Castiglionese variety, which is rarely used in the area due to its low oil yield. Boasting an intriguing and balanced sensory profile with notes of aromatic herbs and tomato, this oil enhances both soups and roasts and tasty fish-based recipes.

Hand harvesting olives at Monaco

Another gem is the Monaco organic farm, located on the hills of Tortoreto that slope toward the sea. Simona and Mauro tend to the family’s olive groves and produce excellent extra virgin oils in their own mill adjacent to their home. Among these, the monovarietal tortiglione – an ancient local variety with the characteristically twisted trunk – stands out for its intense fruitiness and bold flavor, delighting even the most demanding palates.

In Furci, on the hills near the pristine natural promontory of Punta Aderci Nature Reserve, lies the home of the Di Vito family. Their story began in 1926 when Giuseppe and Maria Di Vito started cultivating olive groves. Those were converted to organic farming in the 1980s with a strong focus on environmental sustainability which outlined the company’s evolution: in 2015 Katia Di Vito and Vincenzo Perrotta founded Di Vito Food Srl based in Vasto, focusing on research and innovation. They have expanded their offerings to include a line of artisanal high-quality preserves alongside their traditional olive oils, spanning from the gentle “Premium” label made from selected gentile di Chieti, leccino, and frantoio olives, with herbs and sweet almond flavors complement, to the different single variety oils from gentile di Chieti, released in limited and numbered editions that fully express the company’s and region’s identity.