Monumental trees of the Costa Brava

The stone oak tree Alzina de la Font de Can Massanet in the pueblo of Vilafant outside of Figueres is one of the 250 so-called monumental trees (árboles monumentales) of the Costa Brava protected by the Generalitat of Catalunya.

The tree protection by-laws that cover trees of exceptional age, size, beauty and/or historical value were adopted in Catalonia in 1987. Other selection criteria are less important, most notably the location of a tree in question — most of the protected trees stand deep in the forests. Likewise, the state of the tree has no bearing on its status — a dead tree is not automatically removed from the list.

For example, the pine tree Pi de les Tres Branques next to the pueblo Castellar del Riu has been included in the list despite being dead since 1915. It is a traditional meeting spot for supporters of Països Catalans, the movement of inclusion of all Catalan-speaking folks into a single nation-state. The meetings take place on the third Sunday of July.

The other famous tree, an oak next to Can Codorniu, the oldest winery in Spain, was dug up and put onto metal support beams in 2016 when it became apparent that new shoots would not spring from the dying tree. As was the case with the pine Pi de les Tres Branques, this change has not influenced its monumental status.

Throughout the years of the program's existence, about 30 trees have died — some were left as is, while others have been cut down to prevent human injury.