Plants (Basel). 2026 Jul 21;15(14):2221. doi: 10.3390/plants15142221.
ABSTRACT
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a quintessential symbol of the Mediterranean basin, representing a profound intersection of ecological adaptation, agricultural evolution, and cultural identity. Italy, where the olive has shaped dietary habits, traditional medicine, folklore, and landscape from prehistory to the present, serves as a primary macro-region for studying the co-evolution of human societies and this iconic plant. In this vein, this paper examines the ethnobotanical trajectory of O. europaea on the Italian peninsula through an analysis of traditional knowledge concerning its medicinal and ritual uses, reported in ethnographic literature dating from the second half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. In addition, we conducted a review of Italian ethnobotanical fieldwork published between 2000 and 2025. Accordingly, olive leaves (used as antihypertensives, febrifuges, hypoglycemic and apotropaic agents), bark and roots (to treat various pathologies) and oil (in rituals for spiritual healing and against evil eye, as an emollient for dermatological pathological and cosmetical conditions and as a vehicle for infusing other therapeutic herbs) have found a central place in the Italian popular pharmacopeia and magic-religious practices. The roots of these traditions have been contextualized within a wider Mediterranean oleo-culture rising from the second millennium BCE. By identifying knowledge gaps, documenting regional ethnobotanical diversity, and connecting historical and contemporary evidence, this work provides a novel framework for future comparative ethnobotanical research. Eventually, a discussion on how contemporary Italy is reframing this botanical legacy through the lenses of agrobiodiversity conservation and the safeguarding of historical rural landscapes against modern threats such as climate change and phytosanitary crises is presented.
PMID:42514588 | DOI:10.3390/plants15142221