In addition to causing the evacuation of a thousand people and destroying thousands of hectares of forests, the forest fires that hit the Italian region of Sardinia last weekend burned an ancient olive tree that was considered a monument by the government.
With 10 meters in circumference and 16 meters in height, the Oliveira de Tanca Manna it was in the municipality of Cuglieri, which was severely affected by the flames, and was more than a thousand years old.
Because of its age and size, it had been included by the Ministry of Agriculture in a list of “monumental trees” in Italy.
“The trunk of our patriarch was still burning this morning and, as you approached, you could feel the fire crackling and see the smoke rising and being dispersed by the wind. The air smelled of death, and even the colors were of death: the death of a righteous man who offered shade and even wisdom to the many who rested under his foliage,” wrote a resident of Cuglieri, Maria Giovanna Campus, on Facebook.
A Olive tree cultivation for olive oil production is a symbol of Italyae is present in much of the country, but especially in the south and on islands, such as Sicily and Sardinia itself. (ANSA).
