HISTORY
THE COMPANY
THE OIL
HISTORY
The ancient village of Pian di Mugnone and the first farms on its Fiesole side are linked, from the second half of the 1300s to the end of the first half of the 1400s, to the history of a single family: the Del Palagio. It was a Fiesolan family who moved to Florence in the San Giovanni district and of which the first news can be found in the Estimo delle Repubbliche Fiorentine of 1363. In it appears the name of Neri di Lippo di Sgratta “living in the palace in the square of S .Maria Visdomini ”in Florence. The ancient name of the family, Lippi or Filippi from the forefather Lippo who lived in the second half of the thirteenth century, changed to Lippi del Palagio on the occasion of the construction of the imposing Florentine residence located in the corner of the current via De’Servi and Bufalini. The settlement of the del Palagio family in the Mugnone valley, with the consequent control of all activities, was possible with the approval of the Florentine Republic which, through them, exercised a surveillance over the area, mainly aimed at goods passing through Faentina. Neri Del Palagio one of Lippi’s sons became prior of the Florentine Republic six times between 1328 and 1343 and the Del Palagio obtained thirty-one presences in that magistracy until 1485. Subsequently the del Palagio fell into disgrace due to the coming to power of the Medici family, lost their wealth and in the first half of the sixteenth century Giovan Battista del Palagio was forced to change his old surname to Palagi and to live in exile far from Florence.
Strengthened by this alliance, the Del Palagio family had various buildings built in no particular order along and near via Faentina, deeming any defensive precautions useless. The only partial but pre-existing fortification was represented by the building that constituted the first residence of the family: the residence of the Tower. The building, still visible today, is located in the middle of the slope and consists of a farmhouse overlooking an ancient tower. The position was strategic as from there you can see a long stretch of the Via Faentina up to the Calderaio strait. In addition to the residence of the Tower, the del Palagio owned four farms on the Fiesole side of Pian di Mugnone that produced oil from olive trees planted by the Del Palagio family, choosing the best location for land, altitude and climatic conditions. Over the years, the Del Palagio family extended olive cultivation throughout the Mugnone Valley.
The substantial balance sheet and political strength allowed the Del Palagio to respond adequately to the needs of the village through the construction of a series of buildings with a social and religious background. The family’s investments were also of a personal nature; presumably around 1400, they had a luxurious residence built not far from the ancient residence which took the name of Palagio di San Polo today called Palagio dei Pesci.
The Del Palagio family favored the arrival in Tuscany of the Order of Friars Minor. The friars settled in the monastery of Santa Maria del Fiore in Fiesole (the original name of the ancient hermitage of San Francesco) which, in 1399, was completely restored thanks to the income from the farms then owned by Guido dei Del Palagio. The family had a family tomb-chapel built on the original floor of the current church of San Francesco, which is still preserved today.
(Taken from Bruno Costa, Fabio Cicali, Silvia Costantini, The ancient village of Pian del Mugnone, 1992 Library of the Tuscan Identity of the Regional Council, Florence)
THE COMPANY
The Company adheres to the Biological District of Fiesole and has requested and obtained the right to join the Consortium for the protection of Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil IGP.
The production of Toscano PGI responds to a precise series of requirements that encompass all phases: from olive cultivation to oil packaging.
The production disciplinary can however be consulted on oliotoscanoigp.
On October 14, 2019, the Company also subjected itself to the ICEA control and certification system to obtain the ICEA certification of organic oil after the mandatory three-year period of compliance with all the conditions provided for certification
Naturally both the Consortium for the protection of the Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil IGP and the ICEA will continue their inspections time their inspections with the due regularity required by the specifications.
The name Azienda Agricola I Quattro Poderi 1328 was inspired by the history of olive groves used today to produce oil since they were planted in the early fourteenth century in the first four estates that the Del Palagio family owned in Fiesole in the Mugnone Valley (Neri dei Del Palagio 1328).
THE OIL
The Extra Virgin Olive Oil produced by the Azienda Agricola I Quattro Poderi 1328 comes from our olive groves between 150 and 200 meters above sea level in the hills of Fiesole in the Pian del Mugnone Valley.
The varieties we use are the typical Tuscan ones: Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino.
Olives are usually picked by hand from the end of October when their ripening is optimal and once harvested they are immediately taken to the mill to be processed immediately.
The oil obtained is filtered to preserve its organoleptic qualities over time. The main characteristics are a very low acidity, 0.15% expressed in Oleic acid, an excellent content of biophenols (510 mg / l) and a substantial supply of Tocopherols (250 mg / lt).
It has a herbaceous, fruity scent reminiscent of olives. The taste immediately appreciates a balanced and fruity taste, with a good spicy final note.
CONTACT
Tel: +39 335 529 4914 | mail: info@quattropoderi.it