Although residents of the mountain community of Ledro in Trentino, northern Italy, protested against the felling of a 30-meter-high, 200-year-old Norway spruce for St. Peter’s Square in Rome, the tree was felled. On Tuesday he was on his way to the Vatican. The pine tree stood at an altitude of 1200 meters in the Ledro Valley near Passo Nota, a few kilometers from Lake Garda.
Many residents of the valley spoke out against the logging. On Friday evening there was a torchlight procession to save the pine tree, in which several villagers took part. Fearing protests, the tree was then felled in the presence of the police.
Environmentalists want to continue the fight against deforestation
“We deeply regret that this pine tree has been cut down. Our struggle does not end, we want to prevent the felling of trees in this valley and elsewhere due to a cruel and anachronistic practice,” said Lorenzo Vescovi, spokesman for the Citizens’ Committee.
This article shows a torchlight procession organized by environmentalists to preserve the pine tree:
A petition for the preservation of the pine tree was set up on the online platform change.org, which collected more than 40,000 signatures. The residents of Ledro wrote to Pope Francis to save the tree – to no avail.
The Vatican is defending itself
The Vatican has defended itself against accusations that it sacrificed the life of a two-century-old pine tree for the Christmas tradition. The tree was selected in an “ecologically responsible manner,” the Governorate, the governing body of the Holy See, said on Tuesday. The spruce comes from a forest in Trentino that is managed “according to the strictest ecological criteria”. The annual growth of the Ledro forest is certified at 8,260 cubic meters. The felled pine tree was one of the trees that would have to be felled anyway for the correct management of the forest, the Vatican said in its statement.
On the afternoon of December 7, the decorated Christmas tree is ceremonially lit. The seaside resort of Grado in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, popular with Austrian holidaymakers, will provide the nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square this year. Designed by volunteers, it features motifs from the local lagoon and the lives of the fishermen. The tree and nativity scene will then be on display until the feast of the Baptism of Christ, which will be celebrated on January 12, 2025. Renato Girardi, mayor of Ledro, travels to Rome with 600 villagers to light the Christmas tree.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
