A closer look
Novi Ligure chestnut oak: at a glance
The chestnut oak of Novi Ligure is a monumental tree located in the locality Castellone a Novi Ligure.
History
It is an old oak that was probably spared by cutting due to the particularly beautiful and imposing shape of the foliage. His presence in...Explore this chapter
It is an old oak that was probably spared by cutting due to the particularly beautiful and imposing shape of the foliage[1]. Its presence in the Castellone area is mentioned in the parish archives of the period 1625-1640 which dates the age of the tree to around 400 years[2]. The plant is called in the area as "the walking plant" as it is said that over time it has slipped further and further downstream[2], an event that would also have been confirmed by the caretaker of the manor house on whose land the tree stands[1]. Indeed, the terrain presents the characteristic wavy pattern typical of lands subject to landslides but it seems difficult to confirm a movement of this magnitude[1][2].
The chestnut oak of Novi Ligure is part of the list of Italian monumental trees with identification 01/F965/AL/01[3].
Description
From visual analysis the tree seems to belong to the species Quercus virgiliana called improperly chestnut or chestnut oak due to its sweet-ish acorns and...Explore this chapter
From visual analysis the tree seems to belong to the species Quercus virgiliana improperly called chestnut or chestnut oak due to its sweet and edible acorns[4]. The specimen is well developed in height, reaching 22 meters[4] with the branched foliage in ten primary branches[2] with basal ones that show a descending bearing and some cut wounds by now cicatrized due to previous pruning operations. On the side facing the manor villa there is a large scar due to the collapse of a branch that is believed to have occurred in 1986 following a abundant snowfall[4]. The stem appears inclined towards the mountain and with a high development of emerging roots[4] with a large injury due to the impact on the foot of the tree with some mechanical medium[1].
Image gallery
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The oak seen from afar
Notes
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- ^ to b c d I'm sorry., p. 178.
- ^ to b c d Mipaaf, p. 40.
- ^ D.D. 28 January 2025, n. 67, Monumental trees. L. 14 January 2013, n. 10 art. 7. Interministerial Decree 23 October 2014. Approval of the update of the Regional Elenco of monumental trees. (PDF), up region.piemonte.it. Retrieved 8 September 2025 (archived fromoriginal url on 4 September 2025).
- ^ to b c d I'm sorry., p. 176.
Bibliography
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- IPLA, Institute for wood plants and the environment IPLA spa and University of Turin (edited by), Monumental trees of the Piemonte, Savigliano, L'artistica, 2008, ISBN 9788873201977.
- Angela Farina and Laura Canini (edited by), Monumental trees in Italy - 100 examples of monumentality according to the law 14 January 2013, n. 10, Savigliano, Rodorigo Editore, 2018, ISBN 9788899544348 (archived fromoriginal url on 8 September 2025).
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