Our story
Olive oil production in Panicale and the Trasimeno area has ancient roots dating back to the Etruscans. Our story begins with an act of courage. It was 1949; Italy was emerging wounded from the war, and those who worked the land—often not their own—struggled merely to survive. Private oil mills, controlled by wealthy landowners, imposed unsustainable conditions on local families and small-scale producers
1949
The birth of the cooperative
- In 1949, in Panicale, a group of farmers decided to join forces to change their destiny. Thus, a cooperative was founded, La Panicalese, which gave life to the first cooperative oil mill in Umbria: an act of redemption that transformed the ‘Oil Mill’ into the symbol of a shared future.
1952
Progress
- In 1952, the cooperative became the Oleificio Cooperativo Il Progresso: the dream of a few idealists who, by joining forces, truly believed they could build a better future.
2015
Oil Showcase
- Panicale hosts Pan’Olio, the grand festival dedicated to Trasimeno extra virgin olive oil and Umbrian flavors. An annual event that celebrates taste, tradition, and culture, promoted by the cooperative with the support of local entities and institutions
2016
The Oil on the Island
- In 2016, we accepted an important challenge: to enhance a very particular olive-growing estate which, with its 50 hectares, covers almost the entirety of Isola Polvese, the largest island of Lake Trasimeno. Here, there is a large monumental olive grove, planted during the 1400s by the Olivetan Monks. Every single plant was genetically studied by the National Research Council. This resulted in an extraordinary biodiversity. From the monumental olive grove, we obtain an oil unique in the world, OLIVETANUM!
2021
Innovative Processes
- At the beginning of 2021, a fundamental choice was made, deciding to completely innovate the production processes. The key technological choice concerned a new patent by Alfa Laval, a multinational company in the sector, which shortly thereafter would be launched on the national market, where we were among the very first to use it
2025
The future is PaneOlio
- The history of the cooperative and the oil mill remains intertwined, but today the Paneolio brand represents its evolution: a renewed identity that grows and opens up to new projects, such as those of Isola Polvese and Gualdo Cattaneo