Ring of the Chestnut Tree of Pegliano

The chestnut tree plays a very important role in the Natisone Valleys: in the past, chestnut groves were fundamental to local subsistence, and even today efforts are made to keep the cultivation of this species at the center of valley culture. The hike proposed here takes us to encounter one of the oldest and most impressive chestnut trees in the Natisone Valleys: the so-called Pegliano Chestnut. The numbers speak for themselves: circumference at breast height exceeding 7 meters, crown diameter exceeding 15 meters, and height exceeding 25 meters! Standing in front of these plants cannot trigger great emotions in nature lovers.

However, the fruits of this tree were not intended for human consumption, but rather for livestock feed; in fact, we find in these valleys many varieties of chestnut trees, each with its own specific purpose. A final curiosity: at the foot of the Chestnut Tree there is a peculiar pile of stones, a so-called "počivalo" in the local dialect, that is, a resting place for those who carried heavy panniers loaded with hay or even chestnuts!