Olive growing has existed for thousands of years and began well before the first historical evidence mentioned it.
The first traces of olive groves date back more than 6,000 years, in the Middle East, where, originally, olive oil was intended for multiple applications, such as ointment for leather, as oil for lamps or for therapeutic purposes

It is in the inventory records of the old merchant ships that the first written testimonies about olive oil appear, which were transported from one port of the Mediterranean Sea to the other.

regulated the production and trade of olive oil.

The civilization of the Roman Empire extends to all southern Europe and brings the olive trees in all conquered territories.
The Romans, who saw oil as an important commodity, made many improvements to olive growing and the extraction and preservation of oil.
They attributed such a value to olive oil that they even accepted it as a means of paying taxes. The decline of the Roman Empire in 500 AD AD caused a decline in olive growing and thus a limitation of olive oil production to certain regions.

The olive groves began to flourish, especially in Italy, thanks to the merchants who had discovered that the sale of olive oil on the local markets was an important source of gain. During this period, Tuscany became a renowned olive-growing region.

During the Renaissance, Italy became the largest producer of olive oil in the world. It was renowned for its rich and intense oils that adorned the tables of the courts and the nobility of all Europe.

Olive oil made its commercial debut in America when immigrants of Italian and Greek origin demanded its importation from Europe.