Villa Adriana Director Andrea Bruciati Launches Olive Oil from UNESCO Site

Andrea Bruciati, director of Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli since March 2017, has launched 'Olio di Adriano', a premium olive oil produced from 3,500 century-old olive trees on the 40-hectare UNESCO World Heritage site (designated 1999). The first harvest in November 2017 yielded 78 numbered bottles sold at the museum bookshop, with plans to scale up production in 2018. This initiative is part of Bruciati's broader strategy to revitalize the archaeological complex, which has already seen over 700,000 visitors in eight months, the reopening of the Teatro Marittimo at Villa Adriana and the Arco di Trionfo at Villa d'Este, the reopening of the Mensa Ponderaria in central Tivoli, a street food concession tender, postgraduate scholarships for archaeologists and agronomists, and a sustainable tourism district agreement among Palestrina, Subiaco, and Tivoli. Bruciati, who also serves as artistic director of ArtVerona, emphasizes connecting the sites with contemporary art. The oil project gained international attention from The Telegraph and Die Presse. It parallels a similar initiative at the Reggia di Caserta, where director Mauro Felicori launched AmaRè, an herbal liqueur made from officinal herbs in the Real Giardino Inglese, produced by Distilleria Petrone.