L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano L ocated above the C l i t u n n o p l a i n between Foligno a n d S p o l e t o , Trevi comes into view as a single slope of olive t r e e s a n d p a l e s t o n e . T h e t o w n s i t s o n t h e o l d V i a F l a m i n i a a x i s , c l o s e e n o u g h t o P e r u g i a f o r a n easy day trip and reachable from Rome by regional trains that follow the valley before the road climbs to the his- toric center. While you reach it, you already get an idea of its character: terraces, walls, and a compact summit that still looks quintessentially medieval. S o u r c e s p l a c e T r e v i a e along the Flaminia and point to Roman activity around P i e t r a r o s s a o n t h e v a l l e y f l o o r ; e a r l i e r U m b r i a n presence is plausible and appears in scattered finds. L o c a l l o r e a d d s a l i n k t o Diana Trivia, an etymology kept as tradition rather than fact. Through the communal age, the hillside community organized its own affairs, t h e n i n 1 4 3 8 e n t e r e d t h e Papal States; trade in oil and goods during the fifteenth century earned it the sobri- quet porto secco, a dry port on inland routes. In 1470, printers set up Umbria's first press here, one among Italy's earliest. Climbing through Trevi's traditional lanes and alleys, it's almost like learning from a book: at the crest lies the cathedral of Sant'Emil- iano, Romanesque in origin and later reworked, with a n e o c l a s s i c a l n a v e a n d chapels that reflect the local cult of the patron. A short descent reaches the former Franciscan convent, now a compact museum world: a pinacoteca with Umbrian works from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, archaeology rooms that connect hill and plain, and the Museum of Olive Civilization, which lays out cultivation, press- ing, and trade across cen- turies. In the cloister, twen- t y - o n e l u n e t t e s b y B e r n a r d i n o G a g l i a r d i recount episodes from the life of St. Francis and give the stone a quieter register before the streets narrow again. F r o m t h e c o n v e n t o n , nature and landscape take o v e r o u r a t t e n t i o n : l i m e - stone drains quickly, altitude t e m p e r s h e a t , a n d t h e moraiolo cultivar thrives on these slopes within the Colli A s s i s i – S p o l e t o D O P . Groves surround the town in every direction and, in late fall, mills open for Frantoi A p e r t i (see right), when t a s t i n g s i n t r o d u c e t h e bright, peppery character of the new oil and short walks lead visitors through ter- r a c e d p a t h s a b o v e t h e Flaminia. Outside festival w e e k s , b o t t l e s f r o m l o c a l p r e s s e s a n d s i m p l e bruschette make the case on their own, and even a bakery snack becomes a culinary lesson, when Trevi's incredi- ble oil is used. Across the year, devotion a n d c i v i c p r i d e s h a r e t h e stage. On 27 January, lights move through the alleys for the Processione dell'Illu- m i n a t a , a tor chl it r oute that binds neighborhoods around Sant'Emiliano. Octo- ber gathers exhibitions and food stands under the ban- n e r O t t o b r e T r e v a n o , w h i c h c u l m i n a t e s i n t h e Palio dei Terzieri, where teams from Castello, Matig- gia, and Piano push wooden carts uphill in a race that has been famous for centuries. The town and its valley also speak through flavors, scents, and culinary tradi- tions. The sedano Nero di Trevi, a Slow Food celery grown in irrigated plots at the foot of the hill, brings d e p t h a n d a r o m a , w h i c h l o c a l m a r k e t s p a i r w i t h sausages, soups, and plates dressed with the season's oil. In nearby cellars, producers p o u r T r e b b i a n o S p o - letino, the local white of the S p o l e t o D O C , h e r b a l a n d structured enough to stand b e s i d e c u r e d m e a t s a n d pecorino. Simple combina- tions carry a strong sense of place and reward unhurried meals. A short hop north adds one last layer at the Temple of Clitumnus, the small early-medieval sanctuary on t h e r i v e r i n c l u d e d i n UNESCO's Longobard serial site, a stop that frames Trevi w i t h i n a c o r r i d o r w h e r e R o m a n r o a d s , L o m b a r d churches, communes, and Renaissance trades share the same landscape. Returning downhill, the town resolves i n t o a c l e a r i m a g e : o l i v e orchards, measured architec- ture, and a pace that favors walking, all close to larger centers yet distinct enough to reward a day on its own. E v e r y f a l l , U m b r i a ' s o l i v e c o u n t r y o p e n s i t s d o o r s f o r Frantoi Aper- ti, a region-wide celebration taking place at the time of t h e o l i v e h a r v e s t a n d t h e arrival of the new extra-vir- gin oil. In 2025, the event reaches its 28th edition, running over five weekends from October 18 to Novem- b e r 1 6 . A t i t s h e a r t , o f course, is the freshly milled olio nuovo. The format is simple but very interesting, as working mills welcome visitors while they are in full operation. You can watch olives being u n l o a d e d a n d c r u s h e d , speak with millers, and taste the year's first oil on warm b r e a d . H o w e v e r , t h e p r o - gram extends beyond pro- d u c t i o n f l o o r s t o e n t e r s q u a r e s , s t r e e t s , a n d o r c h a r d s , w i t h c o n c e r t s among ancient groves, guid- ed tastings, art installations a n d f a m i l y a c t i v i t i e s , a l l made even more special by the beautiful Umbrian land- scape. A l t h o u g h m a n y I t a l i a n regions celebrate new oil, Frantoi Aperti has become a national reference for oleo- turismo; it is organized by the Strada dell'Olio DOP Umbria and spreads across the region's hill towns and v a l l e y s , w i t h n a m e s l i k e A s s i s i , S p o l e t o , F o l i g n o , Trevi, and Giano dell'Umbria recurring every year on the c a l e n d a r . T h i s m e a n s t h e event, in its essence, does not simply celebrate olive oil and its culture, but also the p l a c e s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s around it. The tradition began in the l a t e 1 9 9 0 s a n d h a s g r o w n steadily since, with the quar- t e r - c e n t u r y m i l e s t o n e m a r k e d i n 2 0 2 2 . I n i t i a l l y limited to one single week- end in the month of Novem- ber, Frantoi Aperti evolved into a month-long platform by 2009, in a reflection of both demand from visitors and the modernization of the l o c a l o l i v e s e c t o r . T h i s expansion helped producers tell their story in context, while offering more details about their work, the olive v a r i e t i e s t h e y u s e , t h e i r g r o v e s , a n d t h e i r m i l l i n g c h o i c e s . I n d e e d , F r a n t o i Aperti's strength lies exactly in this link between process and place, as it invites peo- ple to experience the new oil a t t h e v e r y m o m e n t o f i t s b i r t h , a n d t o u n d e r s t a n d fully the landscape, towns, and traditions that make it possible. The making of "new oil:" Frantoi Aperti celebrates this important moment in Italian agriculture and tradition (Photo: Arfin Studio/Shutterstock) Inside the new oil season: Frantoi Aperti in Umbria The quiet beauty of Trevi Trevi charms with its medieval beauty (Photo: Photosimo/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS

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