History

History

We are a family business that for generations, since 1780, we have been involved in the production of highest quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We are fully devoted to the quest for excellence in the process of making extra virgin olive oils, from the cultivation and care of the olive trees to the milling of the olives and the conservation and marketing of our premium extra virgin olive oils.

Our olive grove is located in the Guadalquivir Valley, in the region of Jaen (Andalusia, Spain) where our olive trees grow in a very special place, surrounded by the Cazorla Natural Park and where they are gently watered by 8 kilometres of the river Guadiana Menor which cross their Estate.

The Palace

The Marqués de Viana Palace, which belongs to our family, is tucked into the foothills of the Sierra Mágina mountains, in a small village called Garciez. The building is a unique example of Spanish Renaissance architecture in a rural context.

It was initially built in the 16th Century and in 1926 had the honor of housing King Alfonso XIII of Bourbon, who was King of Spain between 1902 and 1931, who spent much time in this region due to his close relation with the Marquis of Viana.

In 2006, the Marqués de Viana Palace was listed as a building of special cultural interest.

THE MARQUIS OF VIANA

Our company takes its name from the palace, now owned by our family, and previously owned by the Marquis of Viana. The Marquis always felt very connected to olive oil. He drived the first quality reforms in the sector, speaking for the first time in history about “extra virgin olive oil” (he called it “pure olive oil” because until that moment, olive oil was always mixed with other seed oils).

He even made that the king of Spain at that time, Alfonso XIII, get involved in this affair. Both personalities were very good friends, so the King slept in our house, the palace, when he came to inaugurate the mill of the Marquis. That day, the Marquis publicly expressed him his desire to have an official quality law for the olive oil sector.

This desire was finally a reality, with the approval of the first quality law in 1926. Also, curiously, thanks to these Royal visits, our palace was provided with heating!

Jose Saavedra, Marquis of Viana, was the person who started caring about quality EVOO and its value for health. He had his own quality-laboratory and thanks to his determination, the olive oil began to have more and more importance worldwide. His mill, inaugurated by the King, was the most modern one in the world (mechanism developed by the engineer Guillermo Quintanilla, and whose patent was later sold to an Italian industry).

Due to the importance of his leading figure, we feel the duty & commitment to honor the work of the Marquis of Viana through our extra virgin olive oils of the highest quality and to share it with the whole world.