Olive grove, Valle d'Itria, Puglia, Italy

© Massimo Santi/Shutterstoc

Many centuries of olive trees. Celebrating World Olive Tree Day

Today, we're not just offering you an olive branch—we've got the whole tree. November 26 is World Olive Tree Day, so we're taking some time to appreciate this amazing plant. Olive trees were first cultivated in the eastern Mediterranean around 8,000 years ago. From there, they were spread to the Greek islands and mainland by the Phoenicians, then further afield, reaching Spain and the western edge of the Mediterranean by around 1000 BCE. The olive branch has been a symbol of peace since ancient times, and olive trees have been grown for their oil, wood and fruit for millennia.

The southern region of Puglia in Italy, seen here, has an estimated 60 million olive trees and produces about 40% of the country's olive oil. The region has been producing olives for centuries. The oldest olive tree in Puglia, and one of the oldest in Italy, is thought to be almost 4,000 years old. Amazingly, the olives from this tree are still used to make oil. The olive grove in today's image also has another link to the past: the structure between the trees is a trullo. These dwellings, made without mortar, are only found in Puglia. They show how deeply rooted the traditions of this region are.