ANTICO FRANTOIO RAMOINO FRANCO

The definition “Antico Frantoio” does fit this ancient oil mill that embodies all the typical features of traditional Ligurian olive growing: firm focus on family values, commitment to farming, passionate work and love for olive oil products. The deep, strong roots of the family-run “Antico Frantoio are located in the lower Impero valley, the first entroterra of Imperia Oneglia, along the track of the strada statale n.28 which links the coast to Piedmont. This is the Costa d’Oneglia, the regione delle Rocche – the archetypical Ligurian rural hub  – featuring an osteria (still operational), a drinking trough, access roads and oil mills, which are conveniently located at the bottom of the valley and used to be supplied by a canal.

Modernisation has not altered the values and spirit of this family history: looking back from Rinaldo and Vittorio Ramoino to Franco, who established the business name taking over from his father Vittorio and mamma Carlotta Abbo – strong-willed women have always been the protagonists of Ligurian oil growing. Historical circumstances united the destiny of Carlotta to those fratelli Abbo producers of olive oil mentioned in the local Orlic guide for the year 1900. You can easily visualize the multi-centenary history of such an important production, which was individuated by cartography at least at the beginning of the 19^th century. A tale of history and passion for rural life and settings. The Ramoino run several plots, mainly between Costa and Borgo d’Oneglia, the sentinels of the town and the sea. In the area of Borgo di Oneglia the heart of the family beats for the region of the Chioso vecchio. Again, the traces of history are evident, even in the name itself: Chioso stands for “closed place”, an ancient farming field which most likely was “closed” by terraces and stones set in rows. In the Middle Ages these fertile and privileged spots hosted different crops. 600 years ago, with the beginning of mass olive tree cultivation, the “closed places” were turned into olive groves: precious, well-kept, fertile – the realm of the Taggiasca cultivar. This is the world of the Antico Frantoio Ramoino Franco.