The name does not correspond to what the adjective means in Italian – And in English, as well.
The island of Giglio, as we Gigliesi like to say, is a “republic apart”.
We know each other and “recognize” each other with nicknames. Each nickname means the story of a family with their members, anecdotes, characters, faces, meetings, jokes. I, Marcella, am recognized by several nicknames. I am Marcella della Dora, if referred to my mother’s family, so called because they are all blondes and I have never been blonde; or del Barre, because my paternal grandfather was the first at Giglio to open a bar.
In our case, that is, the oil and the family that produces it, nothing to do with “clumsiness”. The name represents an honor, a sign of respect from the last scion to his family.
Yes, because the nicknames here are almost titles of nobility. Woe not to have one!
The oil is anything but “guffy”: it has the strength of the roots that creep in looking for the earth between the granite and that cling to the “greppe”; it has the full flavor of the sun and the sea.
On the presentation brochure of Olio Goffo it is written
The island has an impervious terrain for crops and many olive groves can only be reached through long paths that can be traveled on foot and steep hilly areas on the sea ……… Hard work done with a few tools and a lot of effort…… retracing the footsteps of the ancestors…
The soul of Giglio is summed up in a few sentences: an island which, like all islands, by necessity, was, until the advent of mass tourism in the early 60s of the last century, truly self-sustainable. It was when this word, so abused today and often untruthful, was simply normal and true. The small islands could not fail to be self-sustainable: communications with the so-called “continent” were scarce and everything needed for sustenance had to be produced locally. Even wheat was grown on the island, for the grinding of which there were some water mills
Cattle, pigs, goats were raised; vegetables, fruits, flowers were grown. The grapes were so abundant that they were exported to the mainland and celebrated in a late summer festival: the Grape and Cellar Festival, which still amuses us and takes us back in time every September.
Together with fishing, grapes were the most profitable economic source. Naturally also olive trees were grown: the olives were crushed in a local mill.
Oil is not the easiest thing in the world. Especially in an area like this. In the last 20 years there has been a rediscovery of the ancient art of grape and wine at Giglio – some bottles have become so sought-after as to be auctioned -, but no one had so far dedicated themselves to a real local oil production . Francesco thought about it.
Francesco is doing a great job and I wish him great success.
So: go Francesco! Your oil is fantastic. You are honoring the Lily., Giglio island
Marcella Ansaldo © 2023