Tree was 200 years old

Fir tree felled for Pope under police protection

The Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square in Rome last year(Bild: AFP )

Although residents of the mountain community of Ledro in Trentino in northern Italy protested against the felling of a 30-metre-high, 200-year-old Norway spruce for St. Peter's Square in Rome, the tree was cut down. It was on its way to the Vatican on Tuesday. The fir tree stood at an altitude of 1200 meters in the Ledro Valley at Passo Nota, a few kilometers from Lake Garda.

Many residents of the valley had spoken out against the felling. On Friday evening, there was a torchlight procession to save the fir tree, in which many 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 very much regret the felling of this fir tree. Our fight does not stop, we want to prevent trees from being felled in this valley and elsewhere for a cruel and anachronistic custom," said Lorenzo Vescovi, spokesman for the citizens' committee.

This post shows a torchlight procession organized by environmentalists to preserve the fir tree:

A petition to preserve the fir tree had been set up on the online platform change.org, which collected over 40,000 signatures. The inhabitants of Ledro sent a letter to Pope Francis to save the tree - in vain.

Vatican defends itself
The Vatican defended itself against the accusation that it had sacrificed the life of a two-century-old fir tree for the sake of Christmas tradition. The tree was chosen in an "ecologically responsible manner", the Governorate, the administration of the Holy See, said on Tuesday. The fir 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 8260 cubic meters. The felled fir is one of the trees that would have to be cut down anyway for the proper management of the forest, the Vatican said in its statement.

The decorated Christmas tree is to be ceremonially lit on the afternoon of December 7. The seaside resort of Grado in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, which is popular with Austrian vacationers, will supply the nativity scene for St. Peter's Square this year. It will be created by volunteers and will be based on motifs from the local lagoon and the life of the fishermen. The tree and crib will be on display until the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, which will be celebrated on January 12, 2025. Renato Girardi, Mayor of Ledro, will travel to Rome with 600 villagers to illuminate the Christmas tree.