A History of Tradition
since 1932 with love and passion we make
a product that tastes of Tuscany
Origins in 1932
The Birth
The Ancillotti are a historic family with Tuscan roots documented since 1690, decorated with a coat of arms and, as befits the most classic tradition, the unfailing nickname: I Ghianduccio. The family’s long milling tradition began in 1925 when Orlando Ancillotti decided to open the ‘Frantoio Elettrico di Orlando Ancillotti e figli’ where, in 1932, he carried out his first oil campaign.
It was one of the very first oil mills in the area to use electricity for the entire process, instead of the usual water power provided by watercourses. At that time, the oil was extracted by ‘placing’ the must obtained from the pressing of the olives, in large earthenware basins from which, expert millers removed the oil by brushing (‘frantoiano’ means the person who performs the final operation of separating the oil from everything else). The centrifuge separator was later purchased by Orlando’s son, Guido Ancillotti in 1943
1944 - the war years
The strength
of tradition
The fascist regime and the war imposed conditions of great austerity that culminated in the winter of 1944 when, as a result of the bombing, electricity was cut off throughout the area. For families in the area, giving up oil that year would have meant further economic and food difficulties.
Despite the fact that processing seemed impossible under these conditions, Guido and his brother Virgilio came up with an ingenious solution: with a series of pulleys and belts they managed to connect the crusher’s plant to the engine of one of their tractors, so that the latter would act as an energy generator, thus enabling them to carry on working throughout the winter.
Since 1965 Growth and innovation
Giovanni Ancillotti
The business was then passed on to his sons Angiolino and Giovanni. In particular, it was thanks to Giovanni’s careful and passionate guidance that the oil mill grew in size and competence, improving every year. It was through him that the mill began to spread the culture of oil quality, carrying out – in an artisanal manner, with pipettes and reagents – oil analysis and championing the need to keep acidity low. At this time, the oil mill extracted the oil with a stone millstone system, hydraulic presses with jute stools, and a separator (vertical centrifuge). In 2001, the presses were replaced with a horizontal centrifuge known as a ‘decanter’, which was more suitable to avoid excessive oxidation and possible contamination brought to the oil by contact with the jute sherds.
In 2004, Giovanni Ancillotti, at the age of 69, participated as a lecturer in the ‘Professional Course for Oil Quality Control’ organised by the Region of Tuscany. The group of millstones donated by the Ancillotti family to the municipality of Cerreto Guidi and placed in the centre of a roundabout at the entrance to the village is named after him.
The Ancillotti family has been running the oil mill for 5 generations; the modern approach of the young members of the family makes it possible to continue the historical activity and spread the culture of rural tradition while adopting modern solutions and up-to-date technology in oil production. The decision to maintain stone millstones in the process is confirmed even today because millstone crushing, in addition to being a wealth of local tradition, is natural and avoids heat shock to the paste, which greatly degrades the oil. The entire working process, which has always been carried out using COLD methods, is now also certified for the production of ORGANIC oil.
Through the vision of the youngest members of the family, the doors of the oil mill have been opened by organising oil tastings and events during the pressing period. In addition, special attention was paid to the development of communication channels – the website, social media – in order to reach people in all parts of Italy and abroad.
Between Tradition and Innovation
The Mill Today
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