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Fagus sylvatica L.

The Fagus sylvatica, also called “faggio di Don Francesco” by the inhabitants to commemorate a beloved priest of Spinoso, is 32 meters tall and its circumference is around 3,10 meters, but it results damaged by wounds and cavities and it requires interventions of reinforcement.

It hails from central Europe and belongs to the family of the Fagaceae. It is a sciafila plant which adapts to every type of soil and has a good

level of toleration of the persistent present of snow charges on his foliage. It is possible to find it in all Italy’s uplands, including Etna, and it is often associated to conifers. It is not present in its wild state only in Sardinia and it was planted here because of sylvicultural reasons. It is present between 1100 and 2000 meters above the sea level in Basilicata. Beechwood is suitable for turning and it is good for building furniture, pavements and toys.

The fruits, called beechnuts, are edible and were pressed to obtain a surrogate of olive oil, or toasted to create a substitution of coffee which is called Fago, highly spread during the second world war, and made people think about an exotic beverage, even though it was produced in European uplands.

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