The painter Michelangelo is well-known for the exceptional painting that decorates the vault of the Sistine Chapel in Saint Peter’s in the Vatican. What is less known about him is that he was involved with olive growing from his birth to his last days.
He was born in Caprese, a Tuscan village near Arezzo. His family lived on the money he got from a quarry and an olive farm that they had in Tuscan Italy.
This farm, which Michelangelo managed since his older brother was consecrated as a Dominican monk in Pisa, remained as the family’s estate. Also, he became even more involved in olive oil production as time went on. So much so, at the age of 74, he acquired a Tuscan villa of the XVI century located in the Chianti Valley, which is known for its oils. It had an area of 900m squared, more than 200 olive trees and a small private oil mill where they produced their own olive oil for him, his family and his friends.
At the moment, this property is up for sale at the price of 7.5 million euros. Included with the property are the original writings signed by the Renaissance genius.
Michelangelo was a genius who triumphed in all the disciplines in which he participated, his favorite being sculpture, with works such as Pieta or David. In painting, his masterpiece is the vault of the Sistine Chapel. Finally, in architecture, he dedicated the last years of his life to this art form. Of the 88 years he lived, he devoted more than 60 of them to art, However, he dedicated all of them to olive growing and olive oil.