HERITAGE AND PHILOSOPHY
HERITAGE AND PHILOSOPHY
“Take this seriously, in so much that, reaching a certain point, at 70 years of age, for example, you will plant olives
not because they will be passed on to your children, but because you don’t believe in death, even though you fear it and the weight of life will be tilting heavily on the scales.”
Nazim Hikmet
MEMORIES
For Marco Viola, the olive symbolises his family tree. It all began in the 1800s with Biagio and Lucia, who transmitted their passion for olive cultivation to their son Ferdinando. It was then Ferdinando’s son, Diamante who made his contribution to the history of the Viola family when he applied his entrepreneurial spirit to extending the cultivated groves to 30 hectares and subsequently opening the first family mill in the castle of Sant’Eraclio. Diamante’s son and Marco’s father, Biagio Viola followed and became the family custodian of their intense feeling of connection to the land and to this extraordinary fruit, the olive: a green and generous pearl but also a demanding fruit regarding time and nature. This is the reason why the Viola family has lived in symbiosis with the olive tree for 150 years: thanking the sun that makes it grow, fearing the frosts that could ruin the fruits, but always defending it with patience, respect and dedication. Marco has deep gratitude for the olive tree and therefore pays careful attention to all stages of production, from the olive harvest to the consumers table.

MEMORIES AND PROGRESS
My name is Marco Viola, I was born and live in S. Eraclio di Foligno, in Umbria and I am proud to say that I am a farmer. I love my land deeply because it is from it that I have received and still receive all that I know and possess. The greatest gift my family has passed down to me is the passion I put in the cultivation of the olive trees that grow on the hills near my village and that have for centuries clung to the clefts in the rock. I can’t remember when I first felt attracted to this job but I instinctively chose it. I grew up in contact with nature, enjoying the colours of my land, and day after day I have learnt to love it. My choices have always been guided by a strong sense of admiration for those who have made a lot of sacrifices to grow olives and have devoted themselves fully to farming. My childhood memories are connected with the various phases of the cultivation of olive trees:
the care of the groves, the hope during the flowering season, the cheerful voices and songs of the harvesters and the fragrance of the new oil at the mill.I am proud of my origins, but this is not enough to produce high quality oil. To get this result it is necessary to adopt ethical behaviour, acting in a fair way and taking care of the environment and consumers’ rights. That’s why I have chosen organic farming which is based on respect for the land and in keeping with my life philosophy. I am sure that all we give to nature will be given back to us as a precious gift, and that’s why when I chose organic farming I didn’t think of our public image and I didn’t just aim to obtain a high classification, but I was mainly interested in the quality of our olive oil. Organic fertilizing and traditional farming techniques are fundamental to have a high-quality crop together with the right balance between the olive tree and the environment. Here is the secret of our Firm: every single bottle of our olive oil has a history of its own. It is the result of a hard year’s work which begins in the olive grove and ends in the oil mill. The cultivation, harvest and processing of the olives are carried out following our family traditions and all contribute to making an oil for a customer who is very selective and able to appreciate its fragrance and taste which are the flavours of Umbria. The organoleptic features of this product are unique and cannot be reproduced artificially.
The existence of my farm is not fortuitous. Only on this land can we make this excellent olive oil obtained from autochthonous trees grown on rocky soil. Our typical Umbrian olive oil is appreciated all over the world and is the result of a mix of nature and knowledge. The perseverance and great care in the olive pressing, the accurate selection of the varietals, the very short interval between the harvest and the pressing, all contribute to achieving excellent results. The best way to produce a high-quality olive oil is to process sound fruits without altering their nutritional and organoleptic features. The new high tech machines, used in all the production phases, can help to improve the quality of the final product. My extra virgin olive oil has great character and unique qualities which are the expression of this land. My firm has been awarded many national and international prizes, but what matters most to me is the positive opinion of my wide and exacting clientele. The land has nourished our roots and it still preserves the secrets which have allowed us to grow and change year after year. Passion, love and devotion to my land give me the strength necessary to reach higher and higher goals. I must thank my family for believing in me and supporting me in my job which, day after day, is becoming a marvellous dream. They have given me strength and firmness and I have been able to go on because I know I am not alone.
Ex pluribus unum.

PRATICAL PHILOSOPHY
The agricultural company Viola is committed to pursuing a programme of social responsibility with the aim of developing sustainable agricultural practices, respecting the environment and guaranteeing a healthy product to the consumer. The project is based on a series of tangible daily activities that ensure close monitoring of the entire production chain, from the olive grove through to the final product in the bottle, and in this way, the consumer is provided with a guarantee of a healthy, high quality product.
Our programme evolves with a concrete and constant commitment.
We cultivate the olive groves on our hills with the greatest respect for the environment, taking care not to disturb the ecosystem.
We promote traditional agricultural practices while favouring a system of cultivation that utilises natural products.
We safeguard the biodiversity of our and land and its natural resources by working the olive groves with great care and respect for all that surrounds them: our energy, resources and professionalism are invested in maintaining the uniqueness of our land intact.
We have adopted the use of cutting edge technology in order to best manage the critical situation in the olive groves that has been caused by climate change.
We produce and provide the consumer with a healthy extra virgin olive oil containing the perfect ingredients for maintaining a correct diet.
We apply a circular economy to our agricultural activities by reusing the waste that results from the processing of the olives. We use eco-friendly materials for the packaging of our products.
We use high-tech equipment for the extraction of the extra virgin olive oil: it renders top level quality with low consumption of water and energy.
We strive to promote the culture of high quality extra virgin olive oil, and to inspire a move towards adopting healthy dietary practices by offering products of the best quality.
We are available to our clients, offering our constantly evolving experience and knowledge in order to create a meaningful relationship in which they can expand their awareness of using healthy, high quality products in the kitchen.