There’s gold in the Sabina Hills between Tuscany and Rome, but it comes in the form of olive oil. That’s what Washington-Liberty alumna Julia Franchi Scarselli discovered when visiting her father, who moved there from Rome in 2009. In fact, oil has been produced in this region for centuries—Emperor Augustus, the founder of the Roman Empire, sold the “gold of Rome” throughout the ancient world starting around 12 BC.
As a sophomore at Smith College in 2016, Scarselli won a competition for women entrepreneurs. Her business plan was to create a collective of Sabina farmers—most of whom own between 100 and 200 olive trees passed down through generations—process the oil in a central location and sell it mostly by subscription. She named the organic, cold-pressed oil Libellula (“dragonfly” in Italian) as a testament to its purity. “Dragonflies can’t survive where air is contaminated with chemicals,” she maintains.
After graduating from Smith in 2018, Scarselli devoted more time to the venture and established an American LLC in 2022. Her father, Camillo, oversees production and development for Libellula while she tends to sales and marketing from Geneva, where she works in the climate policy field.
The oil is available in three sizes (50, 375 or 500 ml) and two varieties. The “classico” ($8-$38) is for everyday use while the “riserva” ($10-$44) is used as a finishing oil.
“Riserva is made when the olives are still green and have less juice,” Scarselli explains. “It’s greater in omega-3 fatty acids and has a peppery, rich flavor.”
As a holiday treat for your favorite cook, consider a two-bottle gift box ($74-$82) or an adopt-a-grove subscription ($68 per month) that includes monthly shipments of Sabina gold. The Italian Store sells Libellula olive oil at its two Arlington locations.