Ancient Olive Trees Luras: monumental trees in Sardinia
About half an hour by car from Olbia and its coasts, you can discover another wonderful side of Sardinia. Luras, a small village in the heart of green Gallura between Bassacutena, Luogosanto, Calangianus and Sant’Antonio di Gallura, is home to monumental trees that are the magnificent ancient olive trees.
Olive trees in Sardinia are very common and can be counted among the typical plants in Sardinia. They are wild olives generally of medium height with young spiny branches and fruits not suitable for oil production.
Olive trees are generally very long-lived; however, the Ancient Olive Trees of Luras have truly incredible characteristics and are indeed among the oldest trees in the world
Ancient Olives: S'Ozzastru, The Senator
In Luras, in the Carana (Karana) area near the Liscia dam, lies S’Ozzastru – the Olive Tree – one of the 20 ancient trees of Italy, one of the oldest trees in Europe and the world.
The ancient olive tree is a true senator, an extremely important natural monument of rare beauty; experts date the birth of this tree to about 3000 to 4000 years ago.
Height: about 14 meters
Circumference: about 19 meters
Canopy area: about 600 m2
Not far from this patriarch, there is another ancient olive tree estimated to be around 2000 years old. Its canopy creates a true miniature forest, a magical place out of time.
The Park of the Ancient Olive Trees
The park where the ancient olive trees reside is well-protected, well-kept, and maintained. There are fences delimiting sensitive areas which help preserve the trees. The infographic present on-site reads:
The Green Patriarch
Millennial witnesses to the harsh landscape, the ancient olive trees have silently observed the passage of history and certainly the construction of the nearby church of San Bartolomeo, Santu Baltolu di Karana.
They are ancient wild olive trees (Olea oleaster or Olea europaea var. Sylvestris), among which is the "Green Patriarch" (s'ozzastru in Sardinian), also known as the oldest tree in Italy, which has been declared a Natural Monument and included in 1991 by ministerial decree for the Sardinia region on the list of "twenty ancient trees of Italy."
The patriarch measures 14 meters in height, 18 meters and 60 cm in trunk circumference at the base, 11 meters and 16 cm trunk circumference at breast height (apd) at one meter and thirty; the canopy covers 600 square meters.
Its age, according to some experts, is estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 years, making it one of the oldest trees in Europe.
From the gnarled heart of the trunk emerge some long roots, which securely anchor the green giant to the ground. The irregular canopy grazes the ground on one side and rises on the other as if to gaze at the stunning panorama over the lake of Liscia.
A second olive tree over 2,000 years old measures 8 meters in height, 1315 cm at the collar, 820 cm at one meter and thirty (apd).
Completing the group of centenarians is another plant over 5 centuries old.
The Lakes in Sardinia
The lakes in Sardinia are predominantly of artificial origin, except for Lake Baratz, a natural lake located in the Nurra region of Sassari.
There are also small lakes of seasonal nature that are formed from catchment basins with rainwater and are therefore fed exclusively by precipitation.
Some of the most important lakes in Sardinia are:
- Lake Baratz – province of Sassari
- Lake Coghinas – province of Sassari
- Lake Mulargia – province of Nuoro and South Sardinia
- Lake Omodeo – in the province of Oristano
- Lake Liscia – province of Sassari
The Lake of Liscia
The Lake of Liscia is an artificial basin located in Gallura between the municipalities of Luras, Sant’Antonio di Gallura, Arzachena, Calangianus and Luogosanto, totally immersed in the greenery and Gallura rocks of the northern Sardinia.
The lake is formed by damming the Liscia river, which originates on Mount San Giorgio and pours out with its wide delta mouth opposite the Archipelago of La Maddalena.
The Lake of Liscia is very well known in Sardinia for its scenic beauty; you can take a boat excursion to admire its shores, the dam, and the vegetation. The Liscia dam guarantees the water supply for all of Gallura up to Olbia and Golfo Aranci.
