PREFACE
Lubentia Olivi, «the delight of oil» is, in Latin terms, the way to refer to a special olive tree and its fruits as something delicious.
Nothing better than this name to define our brand and oil.
In this magical and ancestral corner of Sierra de Gata, on the border of Cáceres with Castilla and Portugal, a series of circumstances converge, which led, since ancient times, to a variety of olive trees of low production but which give one of the best oils in the world.
A treasure, within reach of very few, that has just been discovered and that will undoubtedly give much to talk about: Lubentia Olivi.
THE OIL
LUBENTIA OLIVI: THE BIG DIFFERENCE.
There are many varieties of olives and different ways of processing them. Lubentia Olivi condenses all the qualities of this millenary fruit, offering a unique sensory experience.
EXTRA VIRGIN
Lubentia Olivi, extra virgin, is at the top of the pyramid of the four basic qualities of olive oil considered edible.
The olive trees used for its production are cultivated in a natural ecological environment, free of any harmful product that could disturb its excellent quality.
At the right moment, the olives are harvested with the utmost care at their most suitable stage of ripeness to be milled the same day and using only cold pressing.
ONE OLIVE TREE, ONE YEAR, ONE LITER
The «chamomile from Cáceres» is a very minority crop and, therefore, very much appreciated.
It takes a large tree to dedicate its entire annual cycle to provide just one liter of this magical elixir. This particularity means that, after a year of harvest, another year comes with hardly any production.
WEALTH OF POVERTY
Its low yield compensates with the gift of its essences, which delight us with surprising fruity tones full of nuances, aromas of green apple, banana and freshly cut grass.
Also noteworthy are its very high levels of antioxidants and the common properties of EVOOs that border on the medicinal.
A SECRET REVEALED TODAY
The passage and obscurity of time, the secular isolation of our region and the inadequate processes in the elaboration of the oil have meant that its quality has remained hidden until today.
Coinciding with the arrival of the new mills and their excellent processing methods, Lubentia Olivi was born after the pampering of its olive groves, recovering this treasure to make it shine in all its splendor.
THE ZONE
SIERRA DE GATA, A MIRACULOUS REGION.
There are only 200 Kms. that separate us from the immense Atlantic Ocean. From it we receive continuous fronts loaded with humidity, and they are momentarily retained by our mountain range.
This temperate and rainy microclimate enveloping a generous land, produces an authentic orchard. Orange trees, lemon trees, palm trees… and all kinds of Mediterranean plants, including olive trees and other fruit and vegetable trees, make up this unique and varied landscape.
If the good Tolkien had visited these places, who knows if Frodo Baggins would not have lived in this » shire» where time seems to have stopped.
Lubentia Olivi is reborn every year in this environment that seems to be touched by the hand of the gods.
THE HISTORY
THE OLIVE TREE, MILLENARY LEGENDS
Somewhere in the Mediterranean, more than 10,000 years ago, the first varieties appeared, which evolved over time to become our «Olea Europaea». It quickly began to generate interest for its uses and benefits.
In countless representations and references, the olive tree is associated with wisdom and peace. It reached great importance in the Egyptian, Minoan, Hellenic, and Roman cultures, among others. It is also cited repeatedly in the Koran, the Bible and the Gospels.
About 1000 years B.C. the Phoenicians, tireless travelers and traders, arrived in the Iberian Peninsula. They were probably the ones who introduced this crop in what they called the «land of rabbits»: «I-span-ya» (very similar to the way of pronouncing «Spain» in Spanish: España).
ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME
Since 218 B.C., when the Romans entered Hispania, they conquered and assimilated native territories and cultures, dividing the peninsula into three great administrative provinces: Tarraconensis, Baetica and Lusitania.
Around the year 100 AD, the highest degree of Romanization was reached, to the point that distant Hispania gave Rome some famous emperors, among them Trajan and Hadrian, who encouraged the consumption of the products of their homeland.
GOLD, SILVER AND STARS
The Sierra de Gata, cradle of Lubentia Olivi, in Lusitania, was close to the crossroads of two strategic roads in its time:
La Vía de La Estrella, which came from the northwest and crossed the magnificent Puente de Alcántara and reached Cáceres (Norba Caesarina).
La Vía de La Plata, coming down from the northern lands of Leon, linked with the previous one, continuing southwards to reach Mérida (Augusta Emérita) and then to Seville (Híspalis) and the sea, in Cadiz (Gades).
The empire claimed large amounts of resources from the provinces and Hispania was a great exporter of metals (gold, among others, in abundance) and something as precious as «the other gold», the oil of Baetica and Lusitania.
HISPANIC OIL TRAVELS TO ITALY IN 7 DAYS
Hispanic oil must have been so precious at that time that there was no hesitation in exporting it en masse from ports such as Cadiz to cross the Mediterranean and reach eternal Rome in just one week.
SURPRISE ON THE EIGHTH HILL OF ROME
The Roman emperors took care to prepare the fluvial and port infrastructures so that the Hispanic oil, after going up the Tiber, could reach the very heart of Rome in record time. So great was the importation of this product that, in addition to the seven natural hills of Rome, there was an eighth one, artificial, of great proportions, formed by the remains of 50 million amphorae. It is known as Mount Testaccio.
HERCULES VICTOR OLIVARIUS. OUR SYMBOL
In Rome, next to the cinematic «Bocca della Verità», also near the river, you can admire a beautiful circular temple of very expensive Greek marble, the oldest in the city.
Its elegant silhouette inspired our logo as it was dedicated to none other than the patron saint of the oil trade: Hercules Victor Olivarius.
In view of the above, there is no doubt that Lubentia Olivi is an oil with history.
TO TOP IT ALL OFF: EXCELLENCE BY CONCENTRATION
LEGENDARY, EXCLUSIVE, EXCELLENT
And finally, all that remains is to savor this oil.
It is reborn today after remaining hidden for almost 2,000 years, even though it was already highly appreciated by the inhabitants of that time. This is how Pliny the Elder defines it. Consequently, it can be said to be a legendary variety.
Only a few hectares in the world produce this incomparable type of olive, as appreciated for table consumption as for the production of an exquisite oil.
It has been necessary, after a year with hardly any harvest, for another year of more abundant production to come. The long-suffering tree has had to endure rain or drought, cold and heat, insects and birds to give us, after all this, just a liter of its essence.
It is worth what it costs.
Lubentia Olivi compensates us with fruity complexes typical of the vicissitudes suffered to reach excellence by concentration.
Thank you for coming this far. We only wish you to enjoy our oil, its quality, its taste and its history.
The Lubentia Olivi team.
