The Outdoors

The 17th-century Spanish olive oil mill

The so-called “Plinian lever press” is one of the oldest oil extraction systems, with the earliest evidence dating back approximately 5,000 years ago.

This 17th-century Spanish olive oil mill is even more remarkable for its rare horizontal wooden turbine, which drives the millstone above.

The beam was 8 meters long and exerted a weight of about 40 tons on a stack of baskets containing the olive paste.

The traditional Ligurian olive oil mill from the 19th century

This olive oil mill consists of a basin with a millstone and a wooden press with a stone base.

The animal typically used to turn the millstone was the donkey, able to endure great efforts.

The screw press system spread as early as Roman times and represented an important advancement in olive oil technology, as, despite its compact size, it ensured efficient processing.

Il frantoio spagnolo del 1800The Spanish olive oil mill with three conical millstones, 19th century

In this 19th-century Spanish olive oil mill, the processing of the olives took place in a particularly distinctive way: they were guided into the center of three granite cones which, as they rotated, crushed the olives against the flat surface below.

The resulting paste was then pushed beyond the outer edge and collected before being subjected to the pressing process to extract the oil.

The millennia-old olive trees

As you stroll through the garden, you cannot help but notice the two majestic millennia-old olive trees that dominate the space.

These two trees, both delicate and powerful at the same time, come from the lands of Magna Graecia: they were transplanted into our garden with bare roots and are still growing now.

They are living proof that the olive tree is immortal, as the goddess Athena said.

Its ability to regenerate from the trunk alone, producing new branches and fruits, is truly legendary.

Millennia-old trees can be found not only in Imperia, but in many parts of the world: in Jerusalem, the famous olive trees of Gethsemane; in Athens, the one known as “Plato’s olive tree”; and in Magliano, near Grosseto, the “Witch’s olive tree,” to name just a few.

The jars

Jars are one of the oldest systems for storing olive oil.

They are containers made of unglazed or glazed ceramic, the latter ensuring better impermeability, and could hold from a few dozen to several hundred liters of oil.

Their decoration is highly varied, featuring incised, impressed, or relief motifs, applied after cooking.

The Museum

The Treasures

Your experiences at the Museum

The Museo dell'Olivo Carlo Carli

Address:
via Garessio 13 - 18100 Imperia - Italy

Phone:
+39 0183 295762

Email:
info@museodellolivo.com

Opening hours:
Monday: closed
From Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00–13:00 / 15:00–18:00
Sunday: closed
LAST ADMISSION 45 MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING TIME

Closing days:
01/01/26 – 06/01/26 – 05/04/26 – 06/04/26 – 01/05/26 – 15/08/26 – 01/11/26 – from 16/11 to 25/12/26 (maintenance) – 31/12/26

Open on:
25/04/26 – 02/06/26

A large free parking area for coaches and cars is available within the complex.