by Silvia Messeri
Thousand year old olive trees
Roquebrune is one of the many characteristic
villages scattered along the heights above the French part of the Mediterranean
coast, and only a few kilometres away from Montecarlo. Its narrow streets
often open out onto stone-paved terraces from where one can enjoy magnificent
views. However the tourists and travellers who step out onto these terraces
and walk through the streets, are really all heading towards the same
identical place to see the "Olivier MillenaireÚ", the jewel of Roquebrune.
The "Olivier Millenaire" in Roquebrune,
France
(Foto FAN©) |
This olive tree is over one thousand years old and even a dictionary would
find it difficult to contain enough words to describe it. It is not so
hard for the heart. Its majestic stature, huge intertwined roots and abundant
foliage leave one dumb with wonder and amazement. One becomes utterly
fascinated by it and, just for an moment, one realises, after gently touching
its smooth bark, that this contact means that we too, like this tree,
have deep and invisible roots that bind us to our common mother, the Earth.
Some of the old olive trees at S'Ortu
Mannu in Sardegna (Foto FAN©) |
Instead there is not just one thousand-year-old olive tree but a whole
hill of them at Villamassargia, in the Province of Cagliari, in Sardinia.
This is S'Ortu Mannu, the Great Olive Grove, and walking through it is
really suggestive. The huge knotted plants tower up, motionless but full
of life. The entire community of Villamassargia looks after S'Ortu Mannu,
takes care of it and protects it but, when we look at these olive trees,
now nearly one thousand years old, we tend to get the impression that
really and truly, it is the olive trees that protect the village. See
also: Olive oil and its properties The
Olive Tree the Symbol of the Mediterranean The
message contained in typical aspect of the tree
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