The Xandri pine has become a symbol of the identity of Sant Cugat and, in particular, of the efforts of citizens to protect the natural environment of the city.
The Xandri pine is a monumental pinyon pine (Pinus pinea in Latin) located in the territory of the rural park of Torre Negra in Sant Cugat del Vallès more than 230 years old (according to a dendrological analysis it germinated in 1774).
Pine of Xandri
El Pi d'en Xandri, with the supports that have propped it up since the attack in 1997 Type Single tree and pine tree Located in the protected area Collserola Natural Park Location Administrative territorial entity Sant Cugat del Vallès (Vallès Occidental)
The tree has a height of 23 meters, a trunk circumference of 3.20 meters and a trunk thickness of 3.60 meters. Its headland is 21 by 15 meters wide. It is called Xandri because it is located on land that was once owned by a farmer named Xandri.
The Metropolitan General Plan of 1976, which marked how the city should grow, incorporated 170 hectares of Torre Negra as a non-programmed urbanizable area.
With the expectation of developing the land, in 1985, the real estate company Núñez y Navarro bought 56% of Torre Negra. A decade later, when urban planning had not yet been planned, a citizen's movement that was welcomed by the unanimity of political groups accelerated the start of procedures to preserve the area.
In 1997 there was an attempt to cut down the tree and set it on fire - allegedly by a gang of youths - but this act of gratuitous vandalism failed and thanks to extensive maintenance and support measures the pine he recovered and is now enjoying good health again. The attack on the Pi d'en Xandri revolutionized the defense of preservation to the point of provoking the largest demonstration that can be remembered in Sant Cugat.
At the same time, Núñez and Navarro and the other owners of the site urged the City Council to give the green light to the construction of 2,800 homes. This project meant the construction of almost 17% of Torre Negra.
The fight was over and the legal departments of the City Council and Núñez and Navarro have worked long hours for many years to present resources, appeals and challenges to a point where the war has so many active fronts that it becomes difficult to follow . In the middle of this storm of litigation there are also the so-called small owners who have small plots of land in the portion of Núñez and Navarro. These have historically been the most interested in reaching an agreement that would stop this tsunami of lawsuits and that would leave the City Council and owners happy.
In recent years, the Xandri pine tree has become a symbol of Sant Cugat's identity and, in particular, of the citizens' efforts to protect the town's natural environment. In addition, because it is located right near the path that leads to the hermitage of Sant Medir in the Serra de Collserola.