Keepers of Memory
At Masseria Zenobio, among the centuries-old olive trees and the country paths, there live three monumental trees that have been telling the story of this place for centuries: the Carob, the White Mulberry, and the Cypress.
Each of them is a natural and cultural heritage, a silent witness to past ages and, at the same time, a bridge to the future.
The Carob: Mediterranean Resilience & Abundance
With a circumference of 6.50 metres measured at 1.30 metres above the ground, and an estimated age of over 500 years, the Masseria’s Carob is a giant that has seen whole generations grow and labor under its canopy.
Belonging to the class Magnoliopsida, Ceratonia siliqua is a species that prefers mild climates and well-drained soils. Its deep roots allow it to endure prolonged periods of drought.
It is a dioecious plant: there are male and female individuals, and production requires grafting.
Between June and September, on the same tree one can observe flowers, unripe pods, and mature carobs: a life cycle that symbolizes abundance.
The carobs are fruits rich in natural sugars, gluten-free, with vitamins A, B, and D, and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The seeds are used as a powerful natural thickening agent.
The Mulberry: the Tree of a Thousand Uses
The White Mulberry (Morus alba), also in class Magnoliopsida, has a circumference of 3.60 metres at 1.30 m above the ground and is estimated to be over 175 years old.
Originally from China and Korea, it is dioecious, producing both the true fruit (“nucula”) and the false fruit (sorosio) which forms the pulp.
The Mulberry tree is one with extraordinary beneficial properties. Its buds, leaves and fruit are attributed antibacterial, antioxidant, diuretic, hypotensive, and especially hypoglycemic qualities: not surprisingly, food supplements for sugar‐metabolism control are derived from white mulberry.
Inside it flows an irritating latex, while from the leaves extracts are obtained that can neutralize the venom of certain species of vipers. The bark, in turn, is the source of two pharmacological antibacterial substances: Albanol-A and Kuwanon-G.
The Cypress: Symbol of Immortality
The Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), belonging to the class Coniferopsida, has a circumference of 3.40 metres at 1.30 m above ground and is estimated to be over 150 years old. Native to Mediterranean regions, it has been present in Italy since Etruscan times; originally from the eastern Mediterranean and Asia.
Long considered a symbol of immortality and a link between earth and sky, the cypress withstands drought and difficult soils.
It blooms from February to May: its male inflorescences are oval and yellow-brown; the female ones green, grouped in small clusters. Its fruits, called galbuli, are woody cones, round or oval, covered with multi-faceted scales.
From the plant is extracted an essential oil used in creams, ointments, and massage oils.
In recent years, however, the cypress has had to defend itself against threats such as Cortical Cancer (Seiridium cardinale) and the aphid Cinara cupressi, whose spread is favored by increasingly mild winters.
A Heritage to Live With and Protect
These three monumental trees are not just botanical wonders, but living archives. Each one of them tells the story of the territory and embodies the strength of nature in resisting time.
At Masseria Zenobio, one does not merely admire them: the trees become part of educational paths, nature-experience walks, and moments of cultural reflection. Visiting them means approaching a rare heritage, where deep roots and centuries-old crowns remind us of the importance of preserving the memory of the land.
Project funded by the NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN (PNRR) MISSION 1: “Digitalization, Innovation, Competitiveness, and Culture” Investment 2.2: “Protection and Enhancement of Rural Architecture and Landscape” Approved by Decree No. G04542 of April 13, 2022 – Financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU and managed by the Italian Ministry of Culture, implementing body: Regione Lazio – CUP F59F22000390004
Visit the oil mill
You can book a guided tour of the Masseria's oil mill. Discover step by step all the ancient procedures that were used to make oil!
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