Monumental Hackberry Tree

"Probably born in the early 19th century, photographs from the turn of the century show it as a beautiful young tree rooted at the base of a wall on the estate opposite the castle. Known to science as Celsis Australis and Bagolaro to Italy, it is nicknamed and “Spacca sassi” (stone breaker) for its powerful roots capable of finding their way to water through rocks, often breaking them. It produces small vanilla flavored fruits, and its wood is highly prized for handles-making for agricultural tools and even for manufacturing truncheons.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, with the flourishing cultivation of durum wheat , vines and Kentucky tobacco, the castle was seeing more and more cart traffic which led to the decision to demolish the adjacent farm and create a courtyard to make space for the growing activities. So our hackberry tree found itself at the center of the main square. It grew slowly and developed in width rather than height, contrary to what trees of its species usually do. In the autumn of 1979, a severe storm struck it with lightning, which damaged it deeply and more than 40 years later in 2022, strong winds caused a deep crack in the trunk. Discovering this the following day was truly dramatic. A few months later, Antiqua Futura suggested we organise an evening event to raise the funds needed to carry out the work recommended by dendrologists. It was a success! With the financial help of all the participants in the event, we were able to save the centuries-old Bagolaro tree, which has become the emblem of the place."

Fiorentino dei Conti Fiorentini