It was 1958 when brothers Franco and Fernando Franci purchased the now-famous "Villa Magra" olive grove in the Val d'Orcia near Montenero, on the gentle slopes of Monte Amiata, and transformed the barn on the hilltop into an olive oil mill. Over time, Fernando Franci gained a reputation as an excellent olive farmer and miller. Even the grand Castello Banfi, located not far from Frantoio Franci, relied on Fernando's services, as he planted and cultivated olive groves for the noble house and processed the harvested olives into oil. A new era began for the Franci family in 1995. Fernando's son, Giorgio, joined the business, which was increasingly struggling to compete in the market against the large bottlers. The family made a life-changing decision: they would henceforth focus on absolute quality and thus withdraw from the mass market. As early as 1996, Giorgio, with the invaluable assistance of his experienced father Fernando, produced the first vintage of "Villa Magra" olive oil. This oil was made from olives harvested from a single plot of land – the Villa Magra olive grove. Today, over 25 years later, it is clear that Giorgio Franci chose the right path for his family business. With well over 500 awards to date, including the prestigious Leone d'Oro Award four times, he is considered the most awarded olive oil producer in the world.
Unforgettable was the exchange in 2003 at an olive oil award ceremony in France of 100 bottles of Villa Magra Grand Cru with 100 bottles of the great growths from the Boderlaise - including Latour, Lafite Rothschild, Petrus, Cheval Blanc and many others.
On March 15, 2018, Babo, as the Francis family affectionately called their patron, Fernando Franci, was honored by IL MAGNIFICO (by Antinori) for his life's work, "Frantoio Franci." Two weeks later, Babo passed away peacefully and fulfilled. Italy can be proud—Babo left a wonderful legacy not only to his children and grandchildren, but also to many others: the best olive oil mill in the world.
