Monumental Tree - Il Vecchio Tiglio (XIII Century)

How to get there

If you leave the town of Macugnaga and follow the little street next to the Tourist Information Center for about 10 minutes, in the beautiful scenery of the eastern side of Monte Rosa you will find the "Chiesa Vecchia” (Old Church) and a small cemetery. On the left side of the road, protected by a wooden closureyou will see the “Vecchio Tiglio” (old Linden), a true symbol for the local community.

Botanical News
The Bigleaf linden of Macugnaga, also called Tilia platyphyllos Scop, is part of the Tiliacee family, it is a widespread species in central Europe that finds the limits to his habitat in some regions in southern Italy.
In our Alps it grows until 1500 meters of altitude.
To grow at such an altitude, the linden has to adapt to the different conditions and it is often associated with other broadleaved such as maples, oaks and beeches.
The wood of the Bigleaf Linden is homogeneous, elastic, and not resistant to degradation agents and is used in carpentry, turning and sculptures.

Conformation and Vegetation Status
The tree shows a good vegetative vigor but also precarious stability conditions.
The trunk, 3.5 meters high, is completely hollow on the base and is damaged in several parts.
Moreover, on the side facing the Monte Rosa, there is a large necrotic sector, which is fissured longitudinally and at risk of overturning. There is also a large cutting wound of a primary branch, with a diameter of about 70 cm.
Currently, the tree is divided in five primary branches, which are also compromised by a fungus, but the foliage is still luxuriant and lush.

The weight and the considerable stresses exerted by these ramifications to the insertion on the large hollow shaft represented, however, a great risk for the integrity of the “old Tiglio “ which, if not helped, was to be considered at immediate risk of collapse.