Olives in Croatia

Old and Glorious

This olive tree is among the oldest trees in the world. It grows in Kastel Stafilic, near Split in Croatia. It’s exceptionally large, beautiful and attractive. Every year its olives are used to produce several dozen liters of fine olive oil. The local people say this oil is sacred, and they give it to the churches. This olive tree "is bursting with health" because of the fertile soil and the water table in the western section of the Kastel area. The tree is far from the industrial zone. 

Kastel people preserved this tree with love and care. They say it was already there upon the arrival of the Croats in this region. This tree, almost as old as the nearby city of Split which was established in the 3rd century BC, was entered into Croatia's register of protected natural monuments in 1990. The exceptional importance of the Kastel olive tree is proven by the fact that a broad initiative has been launched to place it under the protection of UNESCO's international natural heritage list.

Photo taken from: www.croatianmall.com

Miroslav M.

NGO Our Children, Slavonski Brod, Croatia