Olive growing in the Goriška brda from the early modern period to the frost of 1929

Abstract

The contribution presents the importance and scope of olive growing in the Goriška Brda in modern history. Because in the past olive oil was used for food and lighting and olive branches were sold before Palm Sunday, olive trees were considerably more widespread in the area than they are today. With the Goriška brda being one of the northernmost olive-growing regions, local olive trees are especially susceptible to sudden frost events. Throughout the modern period, the number of olive trees has been on a steady decline due to the primacy of vines. The strongest blow to olive trees was delivered by the severe frost of 1929, after which olive growing almost died out.