The Frantoio Gentili was established in 1820 when my great-grandfather Giovan Battista Gentili started the activity of miller for the extra virgin olive oil production.
In that period the millstones were pushed by donkeys, the presses were made of wood and they were tightened by hand and the olive oil was filtered by skimming always by hand using the “scoppola”.
In the course of the years the mill itself was modified many times until reaching a processing with three presses of 400 atm with two separators and a stacker machine, until 1999.
In May 2000 I built a new oil mill: well equipped spacious premises, with laboratory of bottling and canning on the superior level, including a well defined and separated chain of machines for processing the olives that are stored in hampers; in the inferior level, situated under the ground level in order to maintain a temperature quite constant (14°-16°), there are the premises for the storage of the olive oil produced.
Now with the help of my son Romolo, I try to improve the oil mill and to extend this activity in order to guarantee the goodness, the fragrance and the genuineness of the yesterday oil enriched by today’s talent.
(Pietro Gentili)