Articles
Urban olive-culture: distribution of the cultivar ‘Ascolana tenera’ in the city of Ascoli Piceno, Italy
Article number
1446_2
Pages
11 – 16
Language
English
Abstract
The study emphasizes the importance of the olive tree landscape as a cultural link to local identities and highlights the multifunctional dimensions of olive trees, including ornamental, environmental, and social values.
This study argues that the conservation of local germplasm heritage is important to the identity of European cities.
Focusing on Ascoli Piceno, a historic city in central Italy, the study developed a method for recognizing and characterizing olive trees in urban and peri-urban contexts.
By applying indirect and direct on-site surveys along with geospatial technologies to collect and manage territorial data, the study provides a first state-of-the-art view of the distribution, cultivar identification, and characteristics of trees at the city scale, with a particular focus on ‘Ascolana tenera’, the oldest and most representative cultivar in the area.
The study finds a different distribution of cultivars based on the different urban matrices of the city; in particular, the highest presence of ‘Ascolana tenera’ was found in the consolidated historical urban matrix before 1954. Finally, the study discovered the “neglected ecotypes” of centuries-old olive trees that have been hidden by the progressive urbanization of rural areas and that can be used in subsequent genetic programs to fortify commercial orchards.
Our findings refocus the role of the ‘Ascolana tenera’ cultivar in Ascoli Piceno and the entire Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) area.
This study argues that the conservation of local germplasm heritage is important to the identity of European cities.
Focusing on Ascoli Piceno, a historic city in central Italy, the study developed a method for recognizing and characterizing olive trees in urban and peri-urban contexts.
By applying indirect and direct on-site surveys along with geospatial technologies to collect and manage territorial data, the study provides a first state-of-the-art view of the distribution, cultivar identification, and characteristics of trees at the city scale, with a particular focus on ‘Ascolana tenera’, the oldest and most representative cultivar in the area.
The study finds a different distribution of cultivars based on the different urban matrices of the city; in particular, the highest presence of ‘Ascolana tenera’ was found in the consolidated historical urban matrix before 1954. Finally, the study discovered the “neglected ecotypes” of centuries-old olive trees that have been hidden by the progressive urbanization of rural areas and that can be used in subsequent genetic programs to fortify commercial orchards.
Our findings refocus the role of the ‘Ascolana tenera’ cultivar in Ascoli Piceno and the entire Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) area.
Publication
Authors
M. Pantaloni, M. Zucchini, S. Chiappini, P. Valverde, V. Giorgi, S. Crescenzi, M. Vanacore, M. Ernesto, G. Marinelli, E.M. Lodolini, A. Galli, D. Neri
Keywords
urban olive tree, green infrastructure, urban agriculture, social cohesion and innovation, urban regeneration
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