St. Bernard Tolomeo

Today is St. Bernard Tolomeo's Day, the Patron Saint of Olive Growers. 
Saint Bernard was from Tuscany, and he was born there in 1272.

He was going to be a lawyer, but then he pursued the church after he recovered his eyesight after an illness. He'd made a deal with God.
He chose the name Bernard after the habit of Clairvaux - we mentioned him yesterday - he is the patron saint of bees and beekeepers.
Bernard became the patron Saint of Olives because the Abbey, where Tolomeo lived, St Mary of Olivet, was the site of an olive plantation. The location became known as Mount Olivet.

Here are some here are a few quick fun facts about Olives:
Olives are a fruit and not a vegetable.
The first olive harvest occurs after 15 years of growth. The next time you’re feeling impatient, remember the olive.
Olive trees are some of the oldest live plants on earth. They’re considered evergreens.
One of the oldest all of trees is on the island of Crete is an Olive, and it’s estimated to be about 4,000 years old, and it is still producing fruit.
Finally, the color of the fruit is completely dependent on the maturity – unripe fruit is green, and the ripe is dark purple to black (like tomatoes and peppers).