Story by Anthony Savvides
As the autumn weather begins to settle over the Italian peninsula, Umbria is preparing to showcase its world-renowned olive oil with events planned throughout the region beginning November 1. “Frantoi Aperti” (Open Mills) will run for six weeks, through December 9, and gets started on Thursday at 10:00 in Assisi.
Assisi’s four-day opening weekend will begin at Piazza del Comune at 10:00, daily, with an exhibition and market of extra virgin olive oil and other local products. There will be cooking lessons on November 1 at Piazza del Comune in Sala Ex Pinacoteca from 11:15-13:30, where chef and food blogger Flavia Bi will use typical local products and local extra virgin olive oil. Beginning at 15:00, there will be free, guided tours of Assisi’s cloisters and gardens, departing from the fountain at Piazza del Comune.
On Friday, music will fill the air at Piazza del Comune at 15:00 during the “Cogli la prima mela” concert. Shuttles will depart Piazza del Comune every half hour beginning at 10:00, with stops at local Assisi wine mills and castles. From 17:00-19:30, there will be wine tasting events on Via Nepis. Reservations are required, and can be booked by calling 075.815.5176.
Mangiaunta di Giano is another event under the Frantoi Aperti umbrella, and will take place in Giano dell’Umbria, a smaller village in the south of the region. The eighth edition of Mangiaunta will run from November 3-4, with guided tours of the wineries and free wine tastings. The information point will be in Piazza San Francesco, where buses will be stationed as well. The tour consists of four stages: Frantoio Speranza, Frantoio Flamini, Frantoio Tini-Del Sero and il Forno Comunale di Giano dell’Umbria.
Over the course of the two days, there will be opportunities to sample “plain” oil and oils used in pizza, as well as local chickpeas, lentils, black celery and other local products. Anyone who chooses to participate in one of the two tours on Sunday, November 4 will also receive a complimentary bottle of the local extra virgin olive oil. The tours on Sunday begin at 10:00 and 15:00.
The second weekend of Frantoi Aperti events will be based in Castel Ritaldi, from November 9-11. Frantotipico, this annual tradition, has grown into a considerable event for the small city. On Friday, cooking lessons and lunch will be available beginning at 10:00 at Locanda Rovicciano. (Reservations are required.) On Friday evening, at 21:00, a panel will be held to discuss the nutritional benefits of olive oil, followed by a “taste in music” concert at 22:00. Both events will be at the Castel Ritaldi library.
Frantoi Aperti events are also scheduled in the following cities over the course of the six weeks: Spello, Trevi, Montecchio, Orvieto, Valtopina, Castiglione del Lago, Gualdo Cattaneo and Campello sul Clitunno. To book reservations and more details about the six-week long celebration of locally produced olive oil, check the official website of the 2012 Frantoi Aperti.