“Trees are poems that the earth writes in the sky.” — Kahlil Gibran
The tree represents the bond between earth and sky, between matter and spirit, between nature and beauty. It is a silent, visible poem that speaks to us without words. In Salento, this silent and ancient wealth is hidden, which rises majestically between stone and sky: monumental trees. True arboreal patriarchs, they are not only witnesses of time and history, but become protagonists of a cultural landscape where nature and architecture blend in a harmonious balance. Legends, science, spirituality and a deep bond with the identity of the territory are intertwined in these trees.
Trees as architectural elements: nature incorporated into living
In Salento, monumental trees do not live on the margins of architecture: in many cases they are an integral part of it. In farmhouses, historic gardens, villas and urban spaces, the tree is designed as a living structure, a vegetal column that dialogues with arches, pergolas and courtyards. Examples include the centuries-old olive trees embedded in the dry stone walls of the Strudà and Vernole countryside, or the fig trees or holm oaks that, in the cloisters of former convents or in Italian gardens, mark out the space as columns would in a basilica. In Lecce, in the courtyard of the former Conservatory of Sant’Anna, a 25-meter ficus macrophilla towers among the baroque arches: it is not just a natural element, but an integral part of the architectural scenography.
The Vallonea oak of Tricase: symbol of Salento
Among the most famous monumental trees in Italy is the Vallonea oak of Tricase, planted about 900 years ago and today the guardian of an evocative legend: it is said that in the 12th century it offered shade and shelter to Frederick II and his one hundred knights marching towards the Crusades. 19 meters high, with a crown that covers over 500 square meters, this oak is a witness to the transition from the medieval forestry world to the modern agricultural landscape.
Perhaps imported by the Basilian monks from Dalmatia, the Vallonea oak is today a living natural monument, part of the Otranto–Santa Maria di Leuca Regional Park, and a true emblem of the harmonious interaction between man and nature.
The Araucaria of Taurisano: ornamental exoticism in the Salento villa
In the town of Taurisano, in Villa Lopez, two majestic examples of Araucaria of Queensland, originally from Australia, stand out. Planted in 1880, over 24 meters tall with a base circumference of 4.30 meters, they represent an emblematic case of trees imported to decorate private parks and noble villas, according to a typical taste of the nineteenth-century bourgeoisie. Their presence testifies to the decorative and symbolic function of trees in the historic Salento architecture, in which real acclimatization gardens were created for rare exotic species.
Fitolacca di Veglie: when nature shapes space
In the courtyard of the Masseria La Zanzara in Veglie, now restored but dating back to 1471, grows an enormous Fitolacca dioica, an ornamental tree native to South America. With a crown with a diameter of 17 meters and a base almost 18 meters wide, this tree, planted in 1780, is an integral part of the structure of the masseria. Its central position is strategic: it protects from the sun, offers a meeting point, designs the space. A fascinating example of the intersection between historical architecture and botanical landscape.
The Chilean Palms in Sannicola: plant architecture and colonial memory
At Villa Starace in Sannicola, the entrance avenue is flanked by five Chilean Palms, 15 meters high. Fruits similar to small coconuts, imposing trunks and tropical silhouettes: these trees, imported from the Andes in the 19th century, transform the outdoor space into an exotically inspired garden. They represent the memory of a time when the Salento landscape was contaminated with overseas suggestions, often translated into architectural elements such as greenhouses, pergolas and orangeries.
The Ficus of Lecce: a green column between baroque and spirituality
In the heart of Lecce, near the former Conservatory of Sant’Anna, stands a 250-year-old ficus macrophilla. Planted in the 19th century, it is a rare case of perfect fusion between monumental trees and urban context. The building, designed to host religious women and noblewomen, welcomes this green giant that seems to want to touch the clouds. It is a symbol of naturalistic spirituality, where the tree becomes almost a symbolic elevator upwards, pushing the gaze beyond the roofs and baroque vaults.
The holm oak of Lizzanello and the oak of Taurisano: relics of ancient forests
Among the native species, the monumental holm oak, called the “Leccio dei Briganti”, of the Pisignano district (Lizzanello), stands out, 23 meters high with a crown that measures 27. Witness of the Mediterranean forests that once covered Salento, it is one of the last giants that survived urbanization and land consumption. Similar is the case of the Virgilian oak of Taurisano, which extends from one side of via XXIV Maggio to the other, incorporating the road and the houses in a green embrace.
Centuries-old olive trees: roots that tell the story of time
No article on the monumental trees of Salento could ignore the centuries-old olive trees, true natural monuments that dot the region with their gnarled trunks. In Borgagne, Vernole, Strudà, Casarano and Alliste there are specimens with evocative names: Lu Matusalemme, Il Re, La Regina, La Testa, La Cascata. Some are more than 3,000 years old and continue to produce olives, from which the DOP extra virgin olive oil “Terra d’Otranto” is obtained. They are living sculptures, witnesses to the resilience of a land that has been able to transform the olive tree into a symbol of identity.
Tree Hugging and the Return to Contact
In Salento, home to ancient and majestic trees, the practice of tree hugging is becoming more and more widespread, an ancient ritual now rediscovered in a therapeutic way. Sitting at the base of an oak, breathing under a holm oak or meditating next to an olive tree is not only an ecological choice but also a gesture of deep connection with nature, which many choose to do in the woods of Tricase, in Pisignano or in the gardens of historic farmhouses.
A heritage to be censused and protected
Since 2015, a national decree has required Italian municipalities to census monumental trees, recognizing the environmental, historical and cultural value of these green giants. Citizens, schools and associations can report notable specimens. A simple gesture, which however protects a fragile and invaluable heritage. In Salento, doing so means preserving not only nature, but the very identity of the territory.
Conclusion: living architecture between heaven and earth
In Salento, monumental trees are not just “nature”, but living architecture, silent columns that support the memory of a territory and dialogue with the constructions of man. They are guardians of beauty, but also of balance: between concrete and green, between past and future. And today more than ever, they remind each of us that the landscape is not something to admire, but something to inhabit with respect.