The Olives of Umbria
Umbria, Italy is known as the green heart of the country due to it’s rolling hills of dark green olive trees. A small town in Umbria, Spello, mainly produces three different types of olives - moraiolo (intense), nocellara (prolific) and leccino (sweet), which are hand picked by local olive farmers. A short car journey from Spello through the winding hills of Umbria will lead you to the town of Deruta, known not only for it’s sweet olives but it’s famous fine ceramics. Deruta is a hill town that found its artistic peak in the 15th and early 16th century producing some of the finest Italian maiolica.
The businesses of these crafts where severly effected when in 2016 central Italy was hit by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake killing 297 people and destroying dozens of villages.The tremor and a number of aftershocks were felt across the whole of central Italy. Reconstruction of these regions will require lots of time and effort, and locals still need help, especially with the loss of tourism due to the devestation caused by the earthquake.
The earthquake relief fund are looking to create awareness and raise money through the packaging of produce from the affected regions. The inspiration for the olive packaging is taken from the traditional floral cobalt blue patterns within the fine ceramics of Deruta, which when placed together creates a simple yet luxury tile pattern.
