The woman who reclaimed a centuries-old abandoned olive grove on the Sorrento coast

When night falls, Franca Di Mauro goes to meet her olive trees. It’s the moment when countless fireflies light up, and those tiny, magical glimmers feel like an act of gratitude for the unconditional care she devotes to her land. It took a long time and a great deal of work to reach this point. The centuries-old olive trees were rescued from neglect by her and her husband Jhon, in a laborious recovery process that lasted five full years.

Heroic agriculture

There are around 300 trees of the minucciola variety, the traditional and historic cultivar of the Sorrento coast, aged between one hundred and 180 years. The steep slopes—70% gradient—the narrow terraces, and the rather tall type of trees demand exclusively manual interventions and specialised labour, thus requiring a long time and incurring high costs. But Franca and Jhon told themselves they could do it together—and indeed, they succeeded, with the goal of dedicating more and more time and care to the olive trees on the property surrounding their home in the San Vito hamlet of Vico Equense.

The olive grove and a love story

Two years ago, Jhon passed away. Their love story continues in the running of this olive grove—an almost mystical commitment that the lady of the olive trees carries forward with fervour. Only organic fertiliser, natural ground cover, manual harvesting, and an integrated cultivation method are some of the key practices at Azienda Agricola Jofra, a small farm whose name is an acronym of Jhon and Franca.
"Besides the presence of the fireflies, the other thing that deeply moves me is seeing our extra virgin olive oil on the tables of restaurants that truly value how oil is served," says Franca. "At the beginning, the oil was used entirely by our family restaurant Il cellaio di don Gennaro, but once I was left alone, I had to close it—with immense sorrow."
That transition only adds further depth and feeling to the production of their liquid gold. In 2023, the year of difficult choices, Slow Food awarded them the “Olive Oil from Centuries-Old Trees” Presidium.

The label on the bottle bears a watercolour painting by Mrs Di Mauro herself, depicting the beautiful view from her terraces over the bay of Punta Scutolo, with the island of Ischia on the horizon. Yes, it is a stunning place—a small, silent oasis perched on this steep hillside. The long-dreamed-of retreat for both of them in retirement: he a gynaecologist, she a primary school teacher.

The oil is of excellent quality, with Mediterranean notes of rosemary, tomato leaf, and celery. Decidedly peppery, as is expected from the Sorrento minucciola. The annual production is small, ranging from 300 to 1,200 litres, depending on the year’s harvest. And if a drop should fall to the ground, in respect for the generosity of this land, Franca burns it with a tiny piece of lit paper, as taught to her by the local farmers— a time-honoured ritual that lives on in reverence for Mother Nature.