The millenary larches of Val d'Ultimo

In Val d'Ultimo, on the extreme border with the Stelvio National Park, there are some larches that are known throughout Italy for their age. In fact, it is estimated that they are the oldest trees on the peninsula. The reason why it is known with such precision how long the larches have been standing in Val d'Ultimo is linked to an extreme natural event. In 1930 a very strong wind uprooted one of these trees: in this way it was possible to count the circles of its trunk, from which it was possible to deduce in how many years it had developed to its present size. That larch was 2200 years old, which means that the trees still living are now about 2300. They were therefore just born when Rome was still fighting against Samnites and Etruscans. Investigations conducted on the logs have noted how often they are hollow; but the rebirth of the apical tops indicates that the larches are still alive. They could live another hundreds of years, as long as the strong wind doesn't break their hollow trunks.