Section 2 - Olive Growing - Part I

Have you noticed that the hilly landscape of Liguria is characterised by terracing, which makes it possible to grow olive trees on steep slopes and, consequently, produce oil? Well, the original collection of this museum was dedicated to olive growing, which has long been one of the most important activities for the Ligurian economy.Step into the first room: this was once the stables of the Palace, as you can tell from the cross-vaulted ceiling and the original 16th-century mangers.  Note the centuries-old olive tree that towers in the centre of the room! It is of the local variety called 'colombara', or in dialect 'curumbaira'. Around it, note these working tools no longer used in modern agriculture: sickles, 'assolcatori' ploughs - made of wood and iron and dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries - and the more modern 'voltorecchi' 1930s iron ploughs. Then there are some 19th century axes, billhooks and saws, used for pruning.The original plates of theEnciclopedie Française from 1789 - the same year as the Revolution! - describe harnesses for pack animals. Among them, you can see here the basto, a saddle with a wooden frame, used to carry sacks of olives and materials.Now, let's change environment: go through the small 16th-century porch to access the 'garden inside'. Here animals were once shoed. Can you imagine the pungent smell and the noise of the irons?Over the centuries it has become a garden with exotic plants and stone elements from old local mills. The marble basin, on the other hand, dates back to the 16th century and comes from a local paper mill.After visiting the garden, you enter the next room, where you will find the 'bloody' mill. Why is it called that? We will tell you there!