Via Papa Giovanni XXIII and Via Lima, the road connecting Bagni di Bagni di Lucca’s railway station at Fornoli to the town, forms an elegant processional way with its row of lime trees looking impressive even in their leafless winter state:

Unfortunately, alarm bells were recently sounded when marks of this kind appeared on several trees:

The marks indicate that the tree is to be felled and that is a great pity as far as Bagni di Lucca is concerned.

Whenever trees are threatened I am immediately reminded of Gerard Manley Hopkins’ touching poem:

 

Binsey Poplars felled 1879

 

My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled, 

  Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun, 

  All felled, felled, are all felled; 

    Of a fresh and following folded rank 

                Not spared, not one 

                That dandled a sandalled 

         Shadow that swam or sank 

On meadow & river & wind-wandering weed-winding bank. 

         

  O if we but knew what we do 

         When we delve or hew — 

     Hack and rack the growing green! 

          Since country is so tender 

     To touch, her being só slender, 

     That, like this sleek and seeing ball 

     But a prick will make no eye at all, 

     Where we, even where we mean 

                 To mend her we end her, 

            When we hew or delve: 

After-comers cannot guess the beauty been. 

  Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve 

     Strokes of havoc unselve 

           The sweet especial scene, 

     Rural scene, a rural scene, 

     Sweet especial rural scene. 

 

Already there is growing opposition to the felling of the Fornoli trees and assurances have now been issued by the authorities that only necessary tree removal will be undertaken. After all, it would not be nice if a rotten branch dropped on one. Here are two articles by our Fornoli  journalist-in-residence, Marco Nicoli, regarding the matter:

 

 

 

Because trees have a rather longer life than we have it always comes as a shock that they, too, must end their days. Already the entrance into Lucca from the north has changed beyond recognition as a result of the disappearance of the trees there and I am always apprehensive about how my next walk on the Lucca walls may have arborealy changed since last time.

I hope that replanting will take place promptly

In the meanwhile here is a chart, showing common trees in our area with their names and English translations, for you to swot up:

 

ALBERO	TREE
Melo	Apple-tree
Albicocco	Apricot-tree
Pioppo tremolo	Aspen
Faggio	Beech
Betulla	Birch
Ciliegio	Cherry-tree
Castagno	Chestnut
Cipresso	Cypress
Fico	Fig-tree
Abete	Fir
Leccio	Holm oak
Tiglio	Lime
Gelso	Mulberry
Quercia	Oak
Olivo	Olive-tree
Pesco	Peach-tree
Pero	Pear-tree
Pino	Pine
Platano	Plane
Pioppo	Poplar
Salice	Weeping-willow+

 

Note how fruit trees are often related to their fruit  by changing their ending, e.g., Mela=apple, Melo=apple-tree