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The “olive tree of the witch” has grown within a grove for about 3.000 years.
The stem of this specimen, with a circumference of 27.8 ft, never fails to amaze as if it were a sculpture conjured by a magic spell. Part of the trunk, the one facing north, is completely dead while the part facing south continues to vegetate and appears in good health. The 3000 years of age relates to the dead part of the plant.

Don Isacco Pezzotta, the parish priest of Magliano who returned from a trip to Palestine after visiting the garden of Gethsemane, claimed that the “witch” olive tree was even older than those in the garden that witnessed the Passion of Christ.

In 3000 years, this particular tree has most certainly been the subject of numberless legends and local folklore. A famous tale is that of a witch who used to perform weekly rites, dancing around the tree and forcing it to assume twisted shapes; then, the witch would turn into a cat and watch over the olive tree all night long. Hence the popular name of this plant.

Despite its good health, a wire mesh was reluctantly placed around the tree at some point: it was badly needed to protect it from vandals and unrespectful visitors.

How to get there:

From Grosseto, take the provincial road that leads to Magliano. Behind the church of the Santissima Annunziata, lies the millenary tree within an olive grove.

Botanical card:

The olive tree is a very long-lived evergreen species; its cultivation is native to the Middle East and then spread throughout the Mediterranean basin.

The species is thermophilic and halophilic, it prefers dry and arid environments and climates, while it is quite sensitive to low temperatures.

It prefers loose, coarse and shallow soils with outcropping rockiness. It tolerates salt quite well, so it can also grow along a coastline.
The ideal growing altitude ranges between the sea level and 2.952 ft.

The species is edible and cultivated for the fresh consumption of its fruits, as well as for the production of oil. The latter has several beneficial features, as a regular consumption can reduce the risk of circulatory disorders and hyperacidity. The flavour of the oil depends on every single variety, the processing technique and the time of harvesting.

The olive tree wood is very hard and smooth; it is used for floors and fine cabinetry and inlays – it also serves as very good fuel.

Photo source: https://www.maremmans.it/l-olivo-della-strega-magliano-in-toscana/

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)