Italian oak

Both evergreen oaks like holly oaks, and deciduous oaks like turkey or downy oaks are very widespread in Umbria although some specimens such as the Farnetto (Quercus frainetto or Italian Oak) are very rare. This tree’s distribution ranges from the Balkans to Southern Italy with an uneven, punctiform presence in Umbria: specimens can be found in the woods of Collestrada and San Biagio della Valle and few other places including the small village of Farnetta (in the province of Terni) where its name has been given to the large Farnetto wood in the environs. The Farnetto is important for several reasons: it’s a locally endemic plant found in a limited number of environments; it has been included on the Red List of endangered species at risk of extinction; it constitutes evidence of the historical existence of the wooded plains which covered the Umbrian landscape in pre-Roman times but have since gradually disappeared.