Petroio Tag

NEW OIL IN ANTIQUE TERRACOTTA JARS IN THE ORCIAIA

A RETURN TO THE ORIGINS: THE RESTORATION OF THE OLD TRADITION OF USING THE ORCI FOR PRESERVING EXTRA VIRGIN OIL AT THE FATTORIA DEL COLLE DI TREQUANDA

For centuries, extra virgin olive oil has been stored in terracotta jars, an old method that today risks being lost due to the difficulty of adapting the jars to health standards and preserving the oil from oxidation. Donatella Cinelli Colombini has decided to bring this tradition back to life with an ambitious and complex restoration, giving new life to the olive oil culture of Trequanda.

INSPIRATION: VILLA LE CORTI AND L’ORCIAIA IN IMPRUNETA

Three years ago, a visit to Duccio Corsini’s Villa Le Corti lit the spark of this adventure. In that historic estate, the oil is still stored for a few weeks in enormous terracotta jars from Impruneta, a traditional Tuscan material. Prince Corsini revealed to Donatella that his oil sells quickly and at very high prices, making her see an extraordinary opportunity.

THE SEARCH FOR JARS AND THE CREATION OF THE NEW ORCIAIA

At the Fattoria del Colle, Donatella started counting the ancient jars, mostly used as decorative elements, finding 24 of them. But where to make the orciaia room? The solution came unexpectedly: a television report on bank robbers and the saws with which they cut reinforced concrete gave the right idea. With the help of her technician, Fabio Ligioni, Donatella found a company capable of using the same tool to open a door in two old reinforced concrete wine vats placed side by side, made by her great-grandfather and unused for years. Thus two new spaces were created, covered and sanitized, ready to accommodate the jars and guarantee optimal conditions for the conservation of the oil.