On the occasion of National Tree Day, which in Italy is celebrated on November 21st, it is worth looking at the true silent protagonists of our natural heritage: the thousand-year-old trees. These green giants have spanned centuries and millennia, witnessing wars, climate changes and landscape transformations, yet they continue to grow, offering oxygen, beauty and historical memory. From the Cento Cavalli chestnut to the majestic foliage of the Sardinian olive trees passing through the thousand-year-old larch of Valmalenco, each centuries-old tree tells a unique story of resistance and charm that deserves to be celebrated on this day dedicated to nature.
The thousand-year-old larch of Valmalenco: a green treasure in the Rhaetian Alps
In the heart of the Rhaetian Alps, Valmalenco creeps up to the Bernina Massif, reaching peaks of almost 4000 metres, offering breathtaking views and a rich and varied alpine environment. Among these mountains live extraordinary trees, among which some very ancient larches stand out. Here we are not dealing with approximate estimates, but with real dendrochronological analyses, based on core sampling of the trunk and direct counting of the growth rings. The result is surprising: a deciduous larch in Val Ventina was born in the year 1007, making it the oldest scientifically dated tree in the Alps.
The route to reach this green giant starts from Rifugio Gerli-Poggio, at 1965 meters above sea level, and leads to almost 2200 metres, right in front of Monte Disgrazia. The larch, although grown in a harsh environment next to the Ventina Glacier, retains a trunk with a circumference of 2.70 meters and a height of 16 metres. Immersed in a spectacular Alpine landscape, the larch not only fascinates with its longevity, but also represents a true naturalistic treasure open to the public as a green monument that can be freely visited.
View this post on Instagram
The thousand-year-old olive tree of Villastrada: witness to history
Not far from Lake Trasimeno, the thousand-year-old olive tree of Villastrada defies time with its over 2500 years of life. The trunk, tortuous and imposing, exceeds 12 meters in circumference and dominates the other surrounding centenary trees like a true guardian of the past. During the Second Punic War, its roots were already solid when Hannibal faced the Roman army in the famous battle of Trasimeno, transforming the plant into a silent witness of extraordinary historical events.
Today, in addition to being a tourist destination, the tree is part of a historical-archaeological route that tells the story of the battle and the events of the time, allowing you to live a unique experience between history and nature. Its thousand-year presence reminds us that some trees are not just plants, but real living archives, custodians of memories and legends that span centuries.
The Italus loricato pine: the thousand-year-old patriarch of the Pollino
Among the peaks of the Pollino National Park, Italus stands out, the oldest loricated pine in Europe with its 1230 years, 10 meters high and twisted branches shaped by the winds of the Calabrian peaks. Growing at almost 2000 meters between impervious rocks, Italus is a true green monument, whose bark recalls the lorica of the Roman legionaries. To precisely measure its age, in addition to the traditional ring counting, radiocarbon was used, an innovative technique that confirmed the incredible longevity of the plant giant.
Italus represents the essence of the Pollino loricato pine, symbol of resilience and natural adaptation. Its centuries-old presence tells stories of climate, wind and altitude, while the wood, in the past, was used for trunks, crates and torches during local festivals. Today Italus is a living green monument, a unique example of natural beauty that continues to defy time, offering visitors a unique experience in the Calabrian mountains.
The Chestnut of the Hundred Horses: between history and legend on the slopes of Etna
The Chestnut dei Cento Cavalli, located in Sant’Alfio on the slopes of Etna, is undoubtedly one of the most famous and long-lived trees in the world. Its recently estimated age is 2200 years, and no longer the 3000-4000 indicated in the past, but this does not mean it loses its charm or majesty. The diameter of the trunk reaches 22 meters, while the foliage extends for over 100 meters, creating a true vegetal city where, according to legend, Queen Joanna I of Aragon and her hundred knights found shelter during a storm.
In recent years, scientific studies have explored the tree’s DNA and genetic varieties with innovative techniques, allowing us to better understand its resistance to climate change and the most common pathogens. CREA researchers took samples from various points of the foliage and trunk, discovering that the three visible trunks probably derive from the same original plant. This genetic heritage today allows us to analyze the spontaneous mutations and evolutionary response of a species that has gone through millennia of natural and human history.
S’Ozzastru: the green patriarch of Sardinia
In Sardinia stands the majestic olive tree S’Ozzastru, located in Luras, known as the patriarch of olive trees. With an age estimated between 2500 and 4000 years, a trunk of 11 and a half meters in circumference and a crown of 21 meters in diameter, it is an extraordinary example of plant longevity. Declared a Natural Monument in 1991, S’Ozzastru represents not only the strength of nature, but also a deep connection with local tradition and legends, which consider it a refuge for ancient spirits and guardian of collective memory.
Its fame in the world is confirmed by the fact that the olive tree was nominated for the title of European Tree of the Year 2024, after having won that of Italian Tree of the Year 2023, a symbol of beauty and resistance. Its thousand-year history is intertwined with that of the other monumental plants of Sardinia, which alone represent over 285 extraordinary specimens, making the island a true open-air museum of ancient vegetation.
View this post on Instagram
You might also be interested in:
