Question 1

What is the oldest tree in Bologna?

Accepted Answer

Bologna's oldest precisely dated tree is one of the monumental plane trees of the Parco della Montagnola, planted around 1820 during Giovanni Battista Martinetti's Napoleonic-era redesign of the city's first public park, making it roughly 206 years old. It stands free to visit in the historic centre, a short walk from Via Indipendenza.

Question 2

Why does a cemetery have one of Bologna's notable trees?

Accepted Answer

The Certosa di Bologna, a working cemetery since 1801 and one of Europe's largest open-air museums of funerary sculpture, plants cypresses throughout its historic sections, including one standing directly over the tomb of poet Giosue Carducci, Italy's first Nobel laureate in Literature. The cemetery is free and open to visitors.

Question 3

Are Bologna's remarkable trees free to see?

Accepted Answer

Most are, standing in free public parks, squares and the Certosa cemetery. The Cedro del Rizzoli grows in a working hospital's garden with public access during visiting hours, and the Orto Botanico charges a small entry fee.

Question 4

Does Bologna have any trees tied to famous residents?

Accepted Answer

Two. The ginkgo of Piazza Cavour is closely associated with the Bolognese singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla, who lived facing the square, and the cypress of the Certosa cemetery stands over the grave of Giosue Carducci, Italy's first Nobel Prize winner in Literature.