Lampedusa – a welcoming land, a crossroads of cultures and a symbol of an Italy that unites – is the island chosen by the National Association of Oil Cities to present the new edition of GirOlio d’Italia, dedicated to the theme that will be the common thread running through all activities in 2025: “The Olive Tree of Peace”.
Two days full of meaning, experiences and symbols with Daniele Bennati, former coach of the Italian national cycling team, Ambassador of the Città dell’Olio and spokesperson for the event, celebrated the start of the 2025-2026 edition of one of the most popular events of the Città dell’Olio. After a four-year wait, GirOlio d’Italia returns with a new formula that combines cycle tourism, the enhancement of the olive-growing landscape and the promotion of the identity of the territories, bringing with it a universal message of peace at a time dramatically marked by conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine.
On the first day – Tuesday 17 June – the planting ceremony for the Olive Tree of Peace donated by the Regional Coordination of the Città dell’Olio of Sicily took place in the splendid Giardino dei Giusti. In attendance were Michele Sonnessa, National President of the Città dell’Olio Association, Antonio Balenzano, General Director of Città dell’Olio, Filippo Mannino, Mayor of Lampedusa, Giosuè Catania, Regional Coordinator of the Città dell’Olio of Sicily, and Mario Agnelli, Mayor of Castiglion Fiorentino and member of the National Council of Città dell’Olio. This is the first act of a project that on 11 November will take the Città dell’Olio to Japan, where, in Hiroshima, eighty years after the disaster caused by the atomic bomb, a second official ceremony will be held to plant the Olive Tree of Peace, this time in the Peace Park, renewing a gesture made in 1995 by the Città del Olio Association itself and now relaunched in the context of the 2025 Jubilee and the twinning between Italy and Japan.
On Wednesday 18 June, the Bike Tour took place, a non-competitive cycle tour along a circular route of about 15 km with storytelling moments about the beauty of the surrounding olive groves. Before the start of the bike ride, at 5.30 pm, in Piazza Castello, a meeting was held with local institutions to present GirOlio d’Italia and its new logo. GirOlio has undergone a makeover and now represents a new way of discovering Italy through cycle routes that explore olive groves, oil mills, local places and communities, combining slow tourism, environmental education, sport and the culture of olive growing.
“More than a sporting event, Girolio d’Italia is a living narrative of our territories. From Lampedusa, we wanted to send a powerful message: oil as a symbol of peace, the bicycle as a means of discovery and encounter, and the landscape as a heritage to be shared. Because the olive tree is also this: a bridge between cultures, a symbol that spans the history of humanity, a call to care for the earth and peaceful coexistence. We are convinced that there can be no future without peace, and peace is built through everyday gestures, solidarity between communities and the protection of common goods,” said Michele Sonnessa, President of the National Association of Olive Oil Cities.
‘Lampedusa is a place close to our hearts, where hospitality is practised, memory and hope are valued, where we encounter our own humanity and that of others,’ said Daniele Bennati, former coach of the Italian national cycling team and Ambassador of the Città dell’Olio. “Sport – in this case cycling – and EVO oil have in common the fact that they are first and foremost nourishment for the soul. Cycling surrounded by nature, tasting quality oil and enjoying the landscape around us are practices that cultivate not only inner peace, but also peaceful coexistence and respect. Slow and sustainable tourism experiences that bring us into contact with the people who give life to the Oil Communities allow us to continue to believe in human beings and their ability to work and live together.”