Almost 14,000 votes for the ‘Patriarch’ of 4,000 years in Gallura
It placed third in the European Tree of the Year 2024 competition: the Patriarch, the millennia-old olive tree of Luras in Gallura, garnered just under 14,000 votes and is the first Italian tree to be positioned behind the “Three Weeping Beach of Bayeux”, the weeping beech of Bayeux in France, and the winner, “Three Heart of the Garden” in Poland, which received just under 40,000 votes.
The ancient tree of Luras is considered one of the oldest specimens of olive trees in Sardinia.
It is called the “Patriarch of Nature” for the wisdom of its age, estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 years old.
On November 21st, it was awarded during the national tree day as the winner of the Italian contest, destined to represent Italy in the European competition held yesterday.
With a circumference at chest height of 11.6 meters and a height of 14 meters, the tree has a sturdy and resistant structure, which testifies to its longevity. Majestic, the Patriarch rises towards the sky with numerous branches; its roots, on the other hand, sink deeply into the ground, evidence of its strong attachment to the land that has nourished it and made it grow for millennia.
A true symbol of resilience and continuity, the millennia-old olive tree of Luras is also the focus of some popular beliefs in Gallura: the local inhabitants believed in the past that evil spirits found refuge there.
