Farga del Arion olive tree (Ulldecona)
These olives they have met those who have populated the Iberian Peninsula in recent centuries. They are silent witnesses of history. The Senia Territory, comprising 27 municipalities straddling the provinces of Castellon, Tarragona Y Teruel has the largest concentration of ancient olive trees in the world. More of 6,000 copies monumental they were planted over a thousand years ago . One thousand! They all keep giving olives. They have been feeding all those who have lived alongside them for a thousand years.
Storms, droughts, winds and the relentless action of man they have forged their trunks and branches molding a majestic, monumental bearing. All those trees exceed 3.5 meters in diameter measured at a height of 1.3 meters from the ground have become part of a Inventory of Millenary Olive Trees composed of more than 6,000 copies.
Four-legged olive tree from Canet lo Roig
They make up a priceless vegetable legacy, a heritage that deserves to be protected so that future generations can also take advantage of the energy that its trunks full of History give off.
The film El Olivo (2016) by Iciar Bollaín showed, for the first time on the big screen, the existence of these majestic olive trees. Unfortunately, the fiction only reached a part of the plot of the film, The underlying problem that it portrayed was real: the looting of hundreds of specimens of olive trees, uprooted from the fields and transferred to places for merely ornamental purposes, to decorate a roundabout or a garden.
This trade in olive trees was slowed down in part of this territory by a ** law for the Protection of the Arboreal Heritage of the Valencian Community **.
At the end of 2018, the ancient olive trees of the Senia Territory are recognized as World Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIEWS) by the FAO.
VISIT THE ANCIENT OLIVE TREES
In a clear example of how agricultural heritage can be a great tourist attraction, in the Senia Territory routes have been marked and agreements have been reached with their owners so that These magnificent specimens can be visited.
Also mills and interpretation centers have been refurbished that help understand the olive culture that surrounds these olive trees.
Guided visit
Ulldecona , in the province of Tarragona, has in its municipal district the largest concentration of ancient olive trees in the world. have been counted more than 1,300 copies . Among them stands out The Forge of the Arion , an olive tree that, according to the dating carried out by a team from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, it was planted in 314 A.D..
From the Tourist Office **Guided visits to this and other olive trees**in the town are organized.
Canet Lo Roig is the municipality of Valencian Community with more ancient olive trees, in its territory are more than 1,100 counted . Among them, surely one of the most photogenic, since it is the one chosen by Iciar Bollaín for the aforementioned film El Olivo . This specimen, found on a rural road near the town, was planted in 517 A.D.
In Canet Lo Roig there is also a unique olive tree called Four-legged olive tree due to the peculiarity of its base, formed by four trunks.
In the municipalities that belong to the province of Teruel the cataloging and dating of olive trees is beginning in order to value them. At the moment there are some specimens identified in Valderrobres and next to the town of Peñarroya de Tastavins . The project is in an initial phase, although there are already interesting olive oil tourism initiatives, such as Passion for the Olive Tree that value** specimens of olive trees up to 400 years old.**
Sinfo olive tree in Traiguera
THE FARGA
96% of the ancient olive trees cataloged are of the Farga variety, known for its extraordinary longevity. A very special gastronomic product is obtained from them, Extra Virgin olive oil from ancient olive trees , protected by the Guarantee Mark Milenaria Farga Oil . A highly appreciated EVOO of which logically exists very little production.
The Farga variety gives High fruity oils, with notes reminiscent of almonds, fresh grass and the olive leaves themselves. Leaving aside the technical tasting, no one can ignore the magical sensation of drinking an olive oil from such exceptionally long-lived trees.
EVOO from ancient olive trees