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Olea europaea L.

Many centuries-old olive trees grow inside the “Valley of the Temples”, archaeological and landscape park. Among those plants, there’s the specimen known as the “Olivo del Tempio di Giunone” (“the Olive tree of the Temple of Juno”), about 500 years old, some 16-ft tall and featuring a trunk circumference of about 40 ft (at stump level), and 13,7 at about 4.2 ft from the ground. The trunk spirals clockwise, with several essicated areas. The foliage has been altered by rejuvenating pruning carried out over time. The tree has developed some roots, partly buried and partly visible, but well anchored and growing towards the very Temple of Juno nearby; another long root creeps towards the Temple of Concord, thus ideally creating a symbolic connection between the two places of worship.

How to get there

Simply take the road to the Temple of Juno.

Botanical Card

The olive tree is a very long-lived evergreen species; its cultivation is native to the Middle East and then spread throughout the Mediterranean basin.

The species is thermophilic and heliophilic, it prefers dry and arid environments and climates, while it is quite sensitive to low temperatures.

It prefers loose, coarse and shallow soils with outcropping rockiness. It tolerates salt quite well, so it can also grow along a coastline.
The ideal growing altitude ranges between the sea level and 2.952 ft.

The species is edible and cultivated for the fresh consumption of its fruits, as well as for the production of oil. The latter has several beneficial features, as a regular consumption can reduce the risk of circulatory disorders and hyperacidity. The flavour of the oil depends on every single variety, the processing technique and the time of harvesting.

The olive tree wood is very hard and smooth; it is used for floors and fine cabinetry and inlays – it also serves as very good fuel.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)