About BERTOLLI: Secrets of Tuscany

The BERTOLLI story began in 1865, in the small Tuscan town of Lucca, when Francesco and Caterina BERTOLLI started selling olive oil from a trading shop underneath their family home. They found the hot, dry conditions perfect for producing an olive oil which is now known as the world’s leading brand.

In the 1890s, Francesco Bertolli’s five sons - Giuseppe, Gioele, Giulio, Daniele and Elia - travelled abroad to the USA, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Africa, and started to spread the BERTOLLI name internationally. Many Italian emigrants in America would write to Francesco BERTOLLI because they couldn't find the kinds of food and wine they were used to.

After nearly 150 years, the Italian heart of BERTOLLI continues to beat. Not only is all the olive oil produced by BERTOLLI bottled in Italy, but supervision of the entire process, international management and product control takes place at the BERTOLLI Brand Development Centre in Inveruno, near Milan.