With their significant landscape and cultural value, monumental trees are recognized and protected as national heritage. Sardinia holds the record for the largest number of monumental trees in Italy, with 285 specimens, including 130 in Ogliastra alone.
Among them, 38 are olive and wild olive trees, with 37 recognized for their age, many of which are over 1,000 years old.
These ancient olive trees can be found in various areas of Sardinia, including 2 in città metropolitana di Cagliari, 12 in the province of Nuoro, 4 in the province of Oristano, 4 in the province of Sassari, and 15 in the province of Sud Sardegna.
The Patriarch: the oldest olive tree in Sardinia
The oldest olive tree in Sardinia, as well as a monumental olive tree, lives in Luras, close to Olbia. It is known as “il Patriarca della Natura” (meaning “the Patriarch of Nature” in Italian) or, more simply “S'Ozzastru" (meaning wild olive tree in Sardinian language).
It is thought to be among the longest-lived living organisms on the island, having been around for as long as 4,000 years. This means that it must have been born around the 2nd century B.C., and it must have seen the rise and fall of the pre-Nuragic civilizations of the mysterious domus de janas, and the same can be said of the Nuragic civilizations that built the nuraghi or the tombs of the giants, the Phoenicians, the Romans, and so on of all generations of men and women who have lived on the island up to the present day. In other words, his immense longevity makes the Patriarch the oldest living witness to the entire history of Sardinia.
San Pietro - Golgo: as big as a dinosaur
Not only are the olive trees in Sardinia known for their longevity, with some living for over a millennium, but many of them are also incredibly high.
One of the most impressive examples can be found in Baunei, specifically in San Pietro - Golgo. This olive tree is a true giant, standing at an impressive height of 56 feet (17 meters). To put that in context, it's taller than a brachiosaurus (estimated at around 43 feet or 13 meters in height) and almost as tall as a sauroposeidon, the largest dinosaur that ever existed (which could reach up to 59 feet or 18 meters in height). To give a sense of just how big the San Pietro - Golgo olive tree is, its height is roughly equivalent to that of a 6-story building.
Tanca Manna: the immortal tree of Sardinia
In July 2021, a devastating fire destroyed a 52-feet (16-meter) tall tree – one of Sardinia's oldest and most impressive olive trees – in Montiferru. Despite initial beliefs that it was dead, the tree proved to be incredibly resilient when new shoots emerged in June 2022. The thousand-year-old olive tree of Tanca Manna has proven to be a true survivor, rising from the ashes like a phoenix. It has been around for over a millennium and shows no signs of giving up anytime soon.
Carana: the hospice of millennial olive trees in Sardinia
Patriarch S’Ozzastru – the oldest olive tree of Sardinia – doesn’t live alone. In fact, the thousand-year-old olive trees of Santu Baltolu di Carana are located in close proximity to each other, forming what could be considered the oldest “retirement community” of such trees on the entire island. Each tree has a remarkable story to tell. Having weathered the passage of centuries and the ravages of time, they have become iconic symbols of endurance and strength – living witn