Ring of the Chestnut Tree of Pegliano

The chestnut tree plays a very important role in the Natisone Valleys: in the past, the chestnut groves were fundamental to the local subsistence and even today efforts are made to keep the cultivation of this species central to the valley culture. The hike proposed here leads us to encounter one of the oldest and most imposing chestnut trees in the Natisone Valleys: the so-called Castagno di Pegliano. The numbers speak for themselves: circumference at chest height over 7 meters, canopy diameter over 15 meters, and height exceeding 25 meters! Being in front of these trees cannot but arouse great emotions in nature lovers.

The fruits of this tree were not intended for human consumption but for feeding livestock; in fact, many varieties of chestnut trees are found in these valleys, each with its specific purpose. One last curiosity: at the foot of the Castagno there is a particular pile of stones, a so-called "počivalo" in the local dialect, meaning a resting place for those who carried heavy baskets loaded with hay or chestnuts!