THE OAK TREE OF THE WITCHES
If you love trees, YOU WILL REALLY LOVE THIS ONE and if not...perhaps you can appreciate the historical value of this marvel of nature that is more than 600 years old! La Quercia di Pinocchio (quare-chah) a.k.a. La Quercia delle Streghe (streh-geh). The Oak Tree of the Witches.
Back in February on my birthday, I decided I wanted to check this tree out. A few days before as Lorenzo (my husband) and I were chatting about nature, places to see and local legends, etc. with our landlord. She told us about this tree and that we might really enjoy it.
So, I did a few Google searches and read that Carlo Lorenzini (pen name: Carlo Collodi) wrote the story of Pinocchio beneath this very tree. Some say that Pinocchio was made from this tree. Our son, Luca, is pretty much convinced that Pinocchio was a demon possessed puppet and that it was an evil wizard who created him...perhaps this is a possibility considering the story is pretty brutal. He killed the little cricket (who by the way was giving him some very valuable advice) with a hammer, burned his own feet off and was hanged by a mob. Years ago during Christmas time Luca got a Pinocchio doll for a present. It was one of those battery powered dolls that would sing if you squeezed it's hand. Well, this Pinocchio doll began to sing by itself while we were watching the movie Insidious...kinda creepy. Freaked us all out. Another legend says that this was a meeting place for the local witches! I also heard from some older gentlemen at a bar (cafe) that during World War II some German soldiers wanted to cut the tree down to use for firewood, but the townspeople and people from the neighboring towns came together to protest and were victorious in stopping the assassination of this magnificent beauty. Bravi! The gorgeous tree is now officially considered a National Monument.
This is truly a wonder and if you find yourself in these parts, I highly recommend you check this tree out. A picnic beneath the tree would be really nice, or maybe you can be inspired to write your very own story, or for witches maybe you can have a witchy celebration. This tree is extremely photogenic so bring your cameras or if you like to paint or draw bring your tools with you. The setting is very peaceful. I took some pics and made a very short video, take a look!
Here is a link to the map: https://goo.gl/maps/dpuPNMgjqDx
And a short slide show for you to see...