Some people travel hundreds of kilometres to admire a breathtaking view, and others, instead, to visit a tree. Not just any tree, but a giant that has spanned centuries, and in some cases millennia, becoming a silent witness to Italy’s history.
ADVEReadNOWISEMENT
ADVEReadNOWISEMENT
From the Hundred Horse Chestnut on Etna to the thousand-year-old wild olive in Sardinia, via the Witches’ Oak in Tuscany, our country is home to genuine living monuments which are now even more numerous: the Agriculture Ministry has in fact updated the national list of monumental trees with 82 new entries.
These trees tell stories and legends, have inspired writers, withstood earthquakes and tragedies, and offered protection to travellers and emperors. A unique natural heritage well worth discovering on a real tour among Italy’s green giants.
Monumental trees: what they are and why they are protected
“These green giants are not just trees, they are part of our land, our culture and our history”, said Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida about the tenth update of the national list of monumental trees (source in Italian).
The trees recorded in the inventory are selected for their extraordinary biological, landscape and ecological value. Some are exceptional in size, others belong to rare species, and still others have become symbols of communities, sacred places or the backdrop to historic events. In many cases, it is precisely their bond with the local area and popular traditions that makes them unique.
Where to see Italy’s most beautiful centuries-old trees
From Abruzzo to Sicily, via Veneto, Tuscany, Sardinia and Calabria, these trees are among the most fascinating nature destinations in the country.
Pescara is home to the famous “reclining” Aleppo pine, a tree which, instead of breaking after a landslip, settled on the ground and carried on growing. For scientists it is an incredible example of adaptation, while tradition has it that it bent down to listen to the song of sea nymphs.
In the heart of the Umbra Forest in Puglia grows the Ancient Yew, a millenary tree that for the ancients was at once a symbol of death and of immortality. Its poisonous leaves fed superstitions and tales, but its ability to regenerate has turned it into a symbol of rebirth.
The Witches’ Oak and trees steeped in legend
If there is one tree that more than any other fires the imagination, it is the Witches’ Oak in the province of Lucca. Its huge branches, which stretch almost parallel to the ground for more than forty metres, are said to have hosted witches’ sabbaths on nights of the full moon.
But legend gives way to literature as well. It is said that Carlo Collodi found inspiration under its canopy as he dreamed up the adventures of Pinocchio, making this oak one of Italy’s most iconic trees.
In Umbria too, nature meets myth. The great Roverella di Nottoria is at the centre of an ancient legend according to which it even managed to defeat the Devil, keeping its leaves through the winter and thus preventing the wood from becoming completely bare.
Monumental trees that tell Italy’s history
Not all these giants are home only to fantastical tales. Some have become witnesses to events that have marked the country’s history.
One such case is the Vajont Sequoia in Longarone, which survived the 1963 disaster. On its trunk you can still see the scar left by the wave that devastated the valley, killing almost two thousand people. Today that tree is one of the most powerful symbols of Italy’s collective memory.
In Lazio, meanwhile, the Manildo Oak owes its survival to an act of courage. In 1968 the farmer Manildo Lombardelli opposed its felling, allowing this majestic Turkey oak to go on living and become one of the most admired natural monuments in the Viterbo area.
From the Hundred Horse Chestnut to the Luras wild olive: the patriarchs of nature
Among the true patriarchs of Italy’s botanical heritage stands the famous Hundred Horse Chestnut in Etna Park. At around 2,200 years old, it is one of the oldest trees in Europe. Legend has it that a queen, caught in a violent storm, found shelter together with her retinue of one hundred horsemen beneath its immense canopy.
Even older is thought to be the Luras wild olive in Sardinia, which is believed to be around 3,000 years old. Considered the oldest tree in Italy and among the oldest on the continent, it continues to amaze with the size of its trunk and the vitality of its crown.
In Calabria, by contrast, the Curinga Oriental plane offers a truly unique experience: its enormous hollow trunk is so large it can accommodate up to ten people at the same time, giving the feeling of literally stepping inside a natural monument.
A tour of monumental trees is a journey through nature, history and legend
The latest update to the national list confirms that Italy is rich not only in art cities and spectacular landscapes, but also in genuine living monuments. Visiting these trees means travelling through centuries of history, immersing yourself in local traditions and discovering places where nature, myth and memory still live side by side.
For many they are just trees. For those who encounter them up close they become much more: guardians of time, symbols of resilience and perfect stops on a journey that is anything but ordinary, made up of silence, wonder and deep roots.