Olive oil is one of the oldest agricultural products in human history. Cultivated for millennia in the Mediterranean region, the olive tree was already essential to Greek and Roman civilizations. Olive oil was used not only in cooking but also in religious rituals, body care, and trade. The Greeks and Romans introduced the olive tree to many regions, including the northern slopes of the Alpilles in Provence, as evidenced by the remains found at the Roman site of Glanum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
In Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, olive-growing has been documented since antiquity and continued into modern times. From the Middle Ages to the 19th century, olive oil production was mainly for subsistence, intended for self-consumption. In 1829, three mills were operating, producing 450 hectoliters of olive oil per year. Production reached its peak at the end of the 19th century, with two mills employing 24 workers in 1888, before gradually declining at the beginning of the 20th century.
Provençal olive groves faced many setbacks, particularly the severe frosts of 1889 and 1956. These periods of intense cold severely damaged the olive trees, significantly reducing production. Between 1912 and 1930, production dropped from 800 quintals to only 125. After the catastrophic frost of 1956, the last mills in Saint-Rémy ceased operations, and olive cultivation became marginal. However, in 1969, regeneration efforts were undertaken with the replanting of over 3,000 olive trees.
Despite the challenges, the olive tree gradually returned to the heart of Provençal agriculture. In 2000, the discovery of the remains of a 2,000-year-old oil mill in Saint-Rémy rekindled interest in this tradition. Additionally, olive plantations were revived, and local producers, such as those at Moulin du Calanquet, brought olive oil production back to life in the region. Today, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is once again a key player in olive oil production, blending tradition with modernity.
Discover Moulin du Calanquet’s olive oils at SIAL Paris 2024, from October 19 to 23. Visit us at stand MN009 in Hall 5A to taste our products.