The work within an ancient oil mill was drastically different from what you've had the privilege to experience in our state-of-the-art facility. Old mills, like the one that belonged to "su notariu" a century ago, to whom this museum is dedicated, were leagues away from current quality standards.
The olives that were brought to the mill bore the signs of excessive ripening. Their dark skin, often bruised and damaged, told unpleasant stories of harvest and transportation.
The millstones, imposing stones tasked with grinding, operated under the open sky. During this millennial ritual, the scents of the oil danced freely in the air, dispersing, while the relentless oxygen caused the oxidation of the precious olive paste.
The fiscoli, rustic jute sacks, were used for pressing. Filled manually with the olive paste, they certainly didn't meet today's hygiene standards.
The final stage was the pressing for oil extraction, a ritual that saw the oil floating in the vats being collected manually with bowls.
At the end of this process, a splendid cascade of oil was created. A captivating sight for the eyes, but the resulting oil lacked the fruity nuances, the bitterness, and the spiciness that you've learned to recognize and appreciate.
