The Story Behind Vassae
Βάσσαι
Vassae (Βάσσαι in ancient greek) means “little valley in the rocks”. This is the name of the archeological site of Vassae that is close to our olive grove. There stands the Temple of Apollo Epicurius, the God of healing and father Asclepius, god of medicine.
According to the Greek myths, when Apollo was born, the branches of the olive trees turned gold. Vassae, our little, rocky valley and its golden trees, echoes this legend.
“On golden branches golden olives roll’d”
Callimachus (poet 305-240BC): On god Apollo’s birth
A family tradition passing to a new generation
Vassae Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from olive trees of our family property that grow exclusively in the region of Figalia in Peloponnese, near Olympia. Passing from generation to generation, this olive grove has witnessed the country’s long history and has deeply connected our family to our land. This part of Greece has seen it’s population declining as more and more people moved to the big cities.
Against the grain, one of our youngest family members, Dimitris, returned to his ancestral land to build a business. He founded Vassae to help revitalise the region and put his skills in good use. He has worked as a chemist consulting olive oil and wine producers for many years. With the wholehearted support of our family, he is now making our olive oil available to the whole world, for the first time.
