Mineo Olive Oil Festival

The Mineo olive oil festival takes place in the town of the same name, which enjoys an enviable geographical position: thanks to its predominantly clayey soil, the temperate but at the same time ventilated climate and exposure to the sun for most of the year, it is the ideal area for growing lush olive trees.

It should not be surprising, then, that the olive oil festival is organized here every year, an unmissable event for all fans of this fundamental ingredient of Mediterranean diet . Here's when it takes place and what it involves.

Mineo Olive Oil Festival: description of the event

The Mineo Olive Oil Festival is an event food and wine which aims to make the general public aware of a healthy and good food that must be part of a balanced diet for adults and children. Since this area, as already underlined, is particularly predisposed to the cultivation of olive trees, there are many agricultural companies that not only grow the plants here but also dedicate themselves to the processing of the finished product, then exporting it to the rest of the world.

The idea of ​​a festival dedicated to Mineo olive oil it was therefore created by local producers who thought of this event to taste the oil but also to try it in many different recipes in order to understand its versatility.

The history of the Mineo Olive Oil Festival

The Mineo Olive Oil Festival year after year gathers an audience of enthusiasts of this product but also of simply curious or greedy people who are interested in the culinary aspect of the event.

Over time the event has been enriched with many different moments and in the latest editions it has become one three-day event during which you can taste olive oil from different producers but also participate in seminars and workshop which explain in detail how olive oil is born but above all what the technical innovations are not only in the cultivation of the plant but also in its harvesting and processing, in full respect of the main ingredient: the Mineo olive.

When the event takes place

The appointment with the Mineo olive oil festival is held every year in month of November on variable dates but generally always in the second half of the month. The choice of this period is not at all random, as the month of November is generally the one dedicated to collection of the raw material which is the first step in the production of this important condiment.

In this way all the people who take part in the festival and are interested in the production phase can witness the production phase first hand veraison which is practically the one in which only olives are chosen that have reached the ideal point of ripeness of the raw material.

Where and how the Mineo Olive Oil Festival takes place

One of the particular elements of the Mineo Olive Oil Festival is the fact that it takes place not only in a specific place but throughout the entire territory of Mineo. In fact the event includes several moments that also have different locations . For example, in the center of Mineo there is the part dedicated to stands, where it is possible to carry out tastings of olive oil but also try many different dishes that involve the use of this condiment as well as purchase the product directly.

Also in the centre, many of the events on the fringes of the event take place, such as the final concert , folklore events and workshops dedicated to olive oil. Finally, in the various agricultural companies it is possible visit the oil mills and discover more closely the production techniques of oil but also of many other gastronomic specialties that involve its use.

What to visit in Mineo

Participating in the Mineo olive oil festival can be a good reason to discover a little-known area but full of attractions. The locality has a very long history, given that its origins are lost in time having been founded by Ducezio, a Sicilian king, in the 1693th century BC. Over the centuries, it then underwent various invasions, by the Arabs and others, until XNUMX when it was completely razed to the ground by a terrible earthquake and then slowly rebuilt.

Despite this, there are many testimonies of his in the town glorious past . For example, a visit to the Church of Santa Agrippina, who is the patron saint of the city, founded in 1693 in the aftermath of the earthquake, as thanks for the protection provided by the saint to the inhabitants of Mineo. The church of San Pietro, however, is worth a visit because it preserves a beautiful statue created in 1500 by an unknown artist. Finally, also worth seeing the house of Luigi Capuana, the beautiful stately building that houses the Municipality and finally the archaeological area of ​​Paliké.

How to get to Mineo

Anyone who decides to reach Mineo from Catania with their own car must take the SS, 417 and follow the signs for Gela until the junction for Mineo, where they will continue on the SP. 181.
From Palermo, however, the road to take is the A19 following the signs for Enna and then continuing on the SP. 192 and on the SS. 417 to destination.

Another convenient way to reach Mineo is to use the public transport bus service, both from Catania and from Ragusa and Palermo.
By train, however, the route is less easy as Mineo does not have a railway station and the closest one is the Militello station from which you must then continue by bus.