Ege A.
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The Museum is housed in the old communal olive press of Aghia Paraskevi on the island of Lesvos. The buildings and the mechanical equipment have been restored in an exemplary fashion. Thus, you can observe how the equipment functions and how the factory evolved from steam power to diesel engine operation. At the same time, you will acquaint yourselves with daily life at the «People’s Machine».
In the main building, you will familiarize yourselves with the basic stages of olive-oil production: crushing the olives, compressing the olive pulp and separating the olive oil from the water. You will also see the flourmill, which functioned in a complementary manner during the summer months when the olive press was out of use.
In the old storage rooms for olives, you will discover the work cycle relating to the production of olive oil:
The cultivation and care of the olive tree
The production of sub-products (olive-pomace, kernel oil, soap)
The marketing and distribution of olive oil in Greece and abroad
Professions and activities linked to the production of olive oil.
Lastly, you will learn the history of the «People’s Machine», the communal olive press of Aghia Paraskevi and realize how pioneering for its times the process of communal property was and what its repercussion was on the region’s social fabric and economic structures.