Olive grove landscape: the hydraulic pressing machine and its importance in the cultural heritage of Andalusia (Spain)

Abstract

The hydraulic press was patented by Bramah in 1795. Initially, it was used for keeping paper flat or pressing maps, but, in 1833, in Montilla (Córdoba, Spain), the machine was properly adapted by Diego de Alvear to produce olive oil. It was an extraordinary technological advance in the olive oil sector, not only in Spain but also in other countries of the Mediterranean Basin, because it made it possible to produce better olive oil in less time. The aim of this article is to analyse: the importance of the invention of the hydraulic press for the olive oil industry; the influence it had on the configuration of the olive grove landscape and its heritage value as an example of the evolution of Andalusian society.