펠라고‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪16‬개의 천연기념물

A chapel dedicated to Saint Gualbert, patron saint of foresters, stands next to the Holy Beech Tree, which, according to tradition/legend, sprouts leaves before the others and sheds them later. The current beech tree is a scion of the old tree, which, according to annals, dates back to the 8th/10th century and is said to have had a circumference of 3 meters and a height of 25 meters. The site is easily accessible with a short detour from the road leading up to Secchieta. It is located a short distance upstream from the Abbey.

Mount Secchieta lies between the municipalities of Reggello and Montemignaio. The peak, approximately 1,500 meters above sea level, is part of the Pratomagno ridge and separates the Casentino valley from the Upper Valdarno valley. There is a refuge there, which can also be reached by a paved road.

Rifugio Secchieta, with its cyclist museum featuring many interesting jerseys. The sandwiches are excellent, and the view is beautiful.

As a plant expert and botany enthusiast, Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragona designed the large green area surrounding Sammezzano Castle, approximately 65 hectares, which constitutes the current Historic Park. Around the ancient "ragnaia" (woodland) formed by a high forest of holm oaks, Ferdinando decided to place numerous rare and exotic plants. Their purpose was to serve the dual purpose of beautifying the exterior and gradually introducing visitors and guests to the wonders of the "Moorish" style of the Villa-Castle of Sammezzano. Among the exotic species introduced by Ferdinando, the most well-known are undoubtedly the majestic sequoias (Sequoia sempervirens and Sequoia gigantea), which, as demonstrated by the remarkable size they reached in just 150 years, certainly found the geological, soil, and climatic conditions favorable to their growth. Among these, the so-called "twin sequoia" stands out, as its trunk forks into two enormous vertical branches a few meters from the base. It is almost 54 meters tall and, with a circumference of 837 centimeters, the tallest sequoia in Italy. It is not only one of Italy's monumental trees, but also one of the select group of "150 trees of exceptional environmental or monumental value."

Beginning of May 2025, it was closed.

Beautiful trees imported from the United States, they are called the Giants of Italy as they are the tallest in Italy

In the forest with the largest number of sequoias in Italy, these two fascinating specimens grew side by side. An information sign indicates that their circumference exceeds 8 metres, but at least 5/6 people are needed to hug them

The tallest trees in Italy are found in the Vallombrosa Biogenetic Nature Reserve. The giant specimens were scaled and measured by SuPerAlberi, a team of expert and passionate agronomists, arborists, photographers, tree-climbers as well as experts in environmental education and communication who have been working for almost 30 years in Italy, Europe and the world to study, protect and care for monumental trees. The method used is the one universally recognized as scientifically more rigorous, i.e. direct measurement, by climbing the plant, the so-called direct tape drop. In Mandria the "king" and "queen" of Vallombrosa were elected with heights of 62.45 and 59.83 meters respectively and circumferences of 3.31 and 3.44 meters (indicative age: 105 years). (Source: https://www.carabinieri.it/media---comunicazione/natura/la-rivista/home/tetiche/ambiente/i-giganti-di-vallombrosa )