The high valley of the Torto River, one of the most charming and exquisite sites of Sicily, cradles Alia and its surroundings.  Alia is a peaceful and flourishing village set in the western part of the Madonie Mountains in the heart of feudal Sicily, where the provinces of Palermo, Agrigento and Caltanissetta are connected. This landscape is home to the farm owned by the Guccione family, which has its origins in Toscana and moved to Sicily at the beginning of the XVII century.  The way to reach the farm is from the road S.S. 113 which connects Alia to Montemaggiore Belsito.  Giovanni and Valentina Dara Guccione, brother and sister, are running the farm, sharing the different tasks between each other.  Giovanni graduated with a degree in agronomy and a PhD in economics and politics of agriculture (University of Palermo) and has a Master degree in agri-food marketing (University of Parma).  He looks after the production, transformation and packaging of the Lalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil. He also manages the quality control of the farm.  Valentina graduated with a degree in philosophy (University of Palermo) and she looks after the management and marketing of the farm.  Together they want to make a dream came true:  to produce quality products and to promote Alia and its territory.  The farm consists of 85 hectares (210 acres) of land divided into two sections, one situated in Alia and the other in Palazzo Adriano, both are in the Province of Palermo.  The farm in Alia is located in a hilly area at 700 meters above sea level.  The whole area is 100% chemical-free and unpolluted.  The production of Lalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil is organic and certified by the CCPB of Bologna, an internationally recognized certification board.  The farm’s olive grove consists of three types of trees:  Cerasuola, Biancolilla and Nocellara del Belice. The latter represents 75% of the olive grove and is one of the most interesting variety of Sicilian olive trees.  In 2008, the farm achieved the certification of ISO 9001 and 14001, granted by Agroqualità (RINA).