Italy's Ministry of Agriculture has completed the first census of the nation's patrimony of monumental trees, counting a total of 2,047 distributed all over the country. Rather surprisingly, the island of Sardinia headed the list with 285 ancient trees, followed by Piedmonte (a total of 164) and Friuli Venezia Giulia (139)
These trees, which are known as Patriarchs, can be thousands of years old, like the wild olive of Luras in Gallura (Sardinia), estimated to be between 2,500 to 4000 years of age, while the Chestnut of the Hundred Horsemen on the slopes of Etna is known to be the oldest chestnut tree in Europe. It got its picturesque name because of a legend that claims that during a storm Queen Joan of Aragon, 16th century Queen of Naples, and her hundred knights took shelter under its boughs.
The tallest monumental trees are the three larches at Santa Gertrude in the Stelvio Park at Bolzano. They grow on a mountain at 1,430 meters above sea level and are believed to be Europe's oldest conifers. Fifty conifers of the rare pinus nigra variety form a wood in the Park of Fallistro, Calabria.
Patriarchs are not confined to the wilds, however. Piazza Marina in the heart of Palermo has its venerable ficus. A determined town dweller, it has grown to form a living sculpture, with ten thick columns that have sprouted from its roots to join its main body to give it a total circumference of 36 meters.
The monumental trees are all protected by law.
