Castruriali is dedicated to the restoration of Sicily’s ancient olive trees — safeguarding rare cultivars from extinction and crafting the finest extra virgin olive oil in the historic village of Castroreale.
The inception of the Mandanici oil mill dates back to the 1950s, when three visionary brothers — Andrea, Giuseppe and Domenico Mandanici — founded it to give the olive growers of their hometown a place to press their harvest.
Through the decades the mill transformed in machinery, location and management, its leadership passed carefully down through generations — the founders’ children and grandchildren guiding its evolution.
The mill & its hills · Castroreale, SiciliaA pivotal shift came in 1987, when the traditional press was replaced by a more advanced continuous-cycle system.
The most transformative change came in 2018, when the company secured European financing to build a modern, innovative enterprise — a new chapter blending tradition with cutting-edge technology, production and sustainability.
The mill is managed today by Antonio Mandanici and his children, Giuseppe and Natalía. An expert in olive pressing, Antonio has witnessed the entire historical development of extraction technique firsthand.
For years his knowledge sparked calls for him to share more with the world. In 2023, he answered — taking a bold step into a new venture that brings his vision and mastery to life.
“The olive tree has given us so much — sustenance, beauty and life itself. Now it is our responsibility to repay the debt by nurturing the land that sustains us.”
Across Sicily, millions of olive trees stand abandoned as the old growers age and the young move away. Among them are rare native cultivars slipping quietly towards extinction. We are bringing these forgotten groves back to life — and saving their varieties before they vanish.
Every bottle of Castruriali sold funds the restoration of Sicily’s neglected olive trees — and the rescue of cultivars on the edge of extinction.
Letters from Castroreale — the harvest, the mill and the trees we are bringing back to life.