Olive Oil Museum
Museum – Cisano, Lake Garda
Olive Oil Museum
Every year, the Olive Oil Museum in Cisano, located between Bardolino and Lazise, attracts over 50,000 visitors. Since its inauguration in 1987, the museum has offered a comprehensive insight into the rich and complex history of olive oil production, both past and present.
Situated just a few kilometers from Lake Garda, visitors to the museum can admire historical olive presses. The exhibits vividly illustrate the laborious process of oil extraction in the past, highlighting the significant value of this precious commodity.
For the local people, olive oil is more than just a culinary delight. Around Lake Garda, olive oil has been a crucial food staple and export product for over a millennium.
The Origins of the Olive Oil Museum
The Olive Oil Museum was born from the passion and dedication of the Turri family to olive cultivation and oil production. Since 1954, they have operated an olive mill and sales point in Cisano, near Bardolino, known as Oleificio Cisano. Garda olive oil is renowned worldwide for its high quality.
Under the guidance of Umberto Turri, the museum was established in the late 1980s, becoming the first museum dedicated to olive oil in Italy. Each year, it draws over 50,000 visitors and garners attention from the media across Italy and Europe. The Turri family continues to manage the museum, following in Umberto’s passionate footsteps.
What to See at the Olive Oil Museum
The museum offers a historical and educational journey through nine rooms: the lamp oil room, the lever press room, the oil can room, the iron press room, the indoor and outdoor waterwheel room, the boiler and jar room, the Oliario, and the sales point.
The goal is to provide visitors with a comprehensive view of the production of high-quality olive oil, from olive cultivation to harvesting and pressing, showcasing the evolution of techniques over the years. Exhibits include tools used in olive mills from the 1700s to the 1900s, such as an impressive oak wood press, a water-driven mill, and other traditional equipment.
The museum also features informative videos that complement the displayed tools, emphasizing the importance of olive cultivation and the various harvesting techniques.
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