Itinerary among the Monumental Trees of the Sila

An incredible spectacle that tells the story of the area through twisted branches reaching towards the sky and roots of the most diverse shapes. There is a centuries-old forest in Fallistro, in the municipality of Spezzano della Sila. It consists of 60 specimens of larch pines and mountain maples planted in the 17th century by the Baroni Mollo family, owners of the nearby Casino. They are called the Giants of Sila, trees ranging from 30 to 43 metres in height, with trunks up to six metres wide and extraordinary longevity. This asset was entrusted to the FAI by the Sila National Park Authority in 2016. For centuries, this forest was exploited to extract a flammable resin similar to pitch from the trunks, until the establishment of the current Guided Biogenetic Nature Reserve, which aims to study, genetically preserve and protect this historical and natural heritage of enormous value.

Covered in moss and lichen, surrounded by ferns, plants and flowers, spectacular examples of centuries-old trees can also be admired on the Catanzaro side of the Sila National Park.

The silver fir located in Tirivolo (Valle Lunga), in the municipality of Taverna, has been named Prometeo. It is over 35 metres tall, with a circumference of ten and a half metres at the base. Also in the municipality of Taverna, in Caserma Gariglione, you can admire the Twin Fir Trees, wonderful white fir trees that are 37 and 30 metres tall and have a circumference of 6.50 and 5.10 metres respectively. We remain in Taverna, in the locality of Loncino Guerriccio, where the Pino Vutullo, a black pine of extraordinary dimensions, has lived for centuries: 24 metres high and four metres in circumference.

The Chestnut Tree of Heaven is a green giant located in Melitani in the municipality of Cerva. This centuries-old chestnut tree is 25 metres tall and its trunk is thirteen metres wide. The 32-metre-tall Pino Buturo takes its name from the place where it has taken root. This black pine can be admired in the municipality of Albi. Its imposing trunk measures almost seven metres. It is difficult not to be moved by these natural monuments, ancient inhabitants of the Sila, which have survived the centuries and continue to live in harmony with the environment, allowing their crowns to be shaped by the seasons and the wind. Spectacular trees, such as the Roverella del Ceraso, which grew in Ceraso in Petronà and stands thirty metres tall.

We remain in the Sila National Park, but move to the Crotone side, where we find one of the oldest inhabitants of these lush, vibrant woods. We must bow down before the Musco Chestnut Tree, located in the municipality of Petilia Policastro. This tree has reached a height of over 26 metres and its trunk is about six and a half metres wide at the base.