The Sinfo Olive Tree, from Traiguera (Castellón), has been chosen Best Monumental Olive Tree in the Mediterranean by the Euro-MediterraneanNetwork of Olive Tree Cities (Recomed) in a competition in which up to 12 candidatures of legendary specimens from Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Lebanon, Montenegro and Turkey have competed.

Last May, Recomed called for the "I Mediterranean Contest to the Best Ancient Olive Tree", an international competition which aims to choose the Best Monumental Olive Tree in the Mediterranean. According to the rules, there could be olive trees from the member countries of Recomed, which is made up of 10 Mediterranean countries, the main producers of olive oil.

The jury was made up of renowned experts in agronomy who assessed the candidatures and proceeded to vote for the three best specimens with 3, 2 and 1 points, not being able to vote for the olive trees of their own country.

In addition to the Spanish Sinfo Olive Tree, the Bchaaleh Millenial Olive Tree from Lebanon and The thousand-year-old olive tree of Echraf, presented by Tunisia, were also awarded prizes, which were tied in second place.

The jury has valued both the longevity of the specimen, certified by a perimeter of the trunk that exceeds 10 meters, and its spectacular picture that emerges from the earth with a base unique for its size and robustness, a solid and evocative trunk that draws impossible shapes, and a majestic aerial part, healthy and capable of producing good crops century after century.

The winning specimen corresponds to the variety farga grafted on acebuche that grows in the Roman Augusta Way and is escorted by other also monumental specimens. Due to its impressive size, it can be said to be one of the most ancestral olive trees in the Iberian Peninsula, and therefore in the Mediterranean Basin.

Recomed has specified that although the dating of monumental olive trees is complicated in terms of its antiquity, according to Antonio Prieto, of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, which has dated other olive trees in the Territory Sénia in 1,704, 1,491 and 1,449 years, "it is not possible to do the same with the olive tree of Sinfo, missing an important part of the trunk, but in view of the result of the others it could exceed 2,000 years of life. It is the olive tree with the thickest trunk of all the territory of the Senia.

The candidacy of this olive tree, which also won the AEMO Prize for the Best Monumental Olive Tree in Spain in 2018, has been presented jointly by José Manuel Alemany, owner, together with the Mancomunidad Taula del Senia and the Ayuntamiento de Traiguera.

The award ceremony will take place next February.

Source: Mercacei