The ancient Olive Grove
Lake Garda is just 65m . above sea level.
It's wide surface area and slow water flow, allow the development of Mediterranean vegetation as bougainvillea, oleander, capers, myrtle, citrus and olive trees, despite being in the north of Italy.
Petronilla's Olive Grove is an example of poor farming almost disappeared nowadays that keeps its
landscape beauty.
These olive plants are bound to the history of the area, to their traditions and represent the expression of local traditions and customs.
Unlike most southern regions, where winter frosts are less harmful and where it is easier to find ancient olive groves, it is diffucult that trees grow older than a century on Lake Garda.
In this farm olive trees survived, probably because of the ancient wall that surrounds and protects the area: you will still find some ancient cultivars that belong to an ecotype that has almost disappeared.
The oldest olive tree is about more than 250 years old, probably planted while the first part of the house was build.