Quercia dei Cento Cavalieri
The Quercia dei Cento Cavalieri finds its home on the road that leads from the historic Piazza Pisanelli to the Port of Tricase. It is a specimen of Quercus ithaburensis macrolepis, over 700 years old, with truly important dimensions.
The circumference of the trunk measures over 4.5 meters in diameter and the tree is more than 18 metres high. During the full vegetative period, its foliage reaches an area of over 700 square meters. The name derives from a legend according to which Frederick II would have found shelter right under his foliage, together with his 100 knights. For centuries, Quercia Vallonea has contributed, together with the other numerous valleys that made up Tricase’s Woods, to the development of the local economy. The tannin contained in the acorns was used for leather tanning and for coloring and tanning fabrics, including nets and sails used by fishermen. Wood was also used for small carpentry works. Last but not least, acorns were used to feed men and animals during famines. In 2019 the Quercia dei Cento Cavalieri was elected “the most beautiful tree in Italy”.