21 mar 1560 ano - First Olive Tree Planted in New World

Descrição:

In 1560, the first olive trees were planted in the New World. Antonio de Rivera sailed over from Sevilla, Spain in that year and settled in Lima. He brought with him many olive seedlings in hopes of planting many trees, but only 3 of those seeds made it through the journey. This occurrence increased their already high value so much that de Rivera recruited dogs and slaves as security to guard the growing trees. The Pacific Coast of South America soon became the leading olive oil industry. These seedlings set the foundation for a famous park in Lima, known today as Parque El Oliver – Olive Grove park. (Picture below). The park is now home to over 1,675 trees that originated in those three little seedlings from Spain over 450 years ago.
The olive trees are the ancestors of the olive oil we use today. The seedlings were something of the Old World, while the first trees were first planted in the New World. Olive oil is a common cooking and baking ingredient in most kitchens. It was very interesting for me to learn the history of something I use on a semi-daily basis.