This article is part of a guide to Rome from FT Globetrotter
Pinus pinea, also known as stone pine or Roman pine but probably best known as umbrella pine, has epitomised the Eternal City for centuries. So much so that in his 1835 work “Rome, from Mount Aventine”, JMW Turner was so intent on painting a dreamy, sweeping view of Rome that he decided to add what some experts believe to be an imaginary one to the picture. He knew that this evergreen vision would immediately signal to his viewers that Rome was his subject, and the pine its definitive symbol.
This coniferous tree originated in north Africa and was imported by the Etruscans, but the ingenious Romans used it for a specific purpose. Roman pines grow fast and, thanks to the added property of being water-resistant because of their resin, they quickly became a key input of the empire’s maritime fleet.
Of course, the Romans also knew the value of the fruit of this tree: pine nuts, used today particularly in the production of pesto, and which Ovid (in his Ars Amatoria, written in 2AD) praised for their aphrodisiac properties. To this day, if you encounter a stone-pine forest in Italy, you can be sure that a Roman settlement most probably once stood there.
Its tall, umbrella-shaped canopy is a feat of natural selection, says Dr Antimo Palumbo, tree historian and founder of the Friends of the Roman Pine Society, an association of enthusiasts devoted to the tree’s preservation. Its peculiar flat shape — which Plini in 79AD, in his eyewitness account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, used as a metaphor for the cloud of smoke hovering over the volcano — helps it to withstand storms, allowing high winds to blow through it without uprooting it.
Palumbo and his society campaign against the frequent attempts to chop down some of the largest and oldest specimens. Throughout the years, the pines have drawn the ire of axe-wielding residents and town planners who have railed against their large and fast-growing roots, which are capable of upending roads.
But it is the pine’s imposing but elegant appearance that made it not only a mainstay of imperial Roman might but also the perfect urban decorative ornament.
Through the ages it has captivated the imagination of artists and composers. As early as 40BC in his Bucolics, Virgil called it as beautiful and appropriate in a garden as ash trees are in forests: Fraxinus in silvis, pulcherrima pinus in hortis.
So evocative is the presence of these trees that William Wordsworth dedicated a mesmerising and enchanting poem to them (see below), and the Romantic painter Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema depicted them in “Pine Trees in a Roman Park” (1876). Composer Ottorino Respighi’s most frequently performed work “Pines of Rome” (1924) is a tone poem in four movements for orchestra that dazzles in symphonic colour, conjuring images of some of the most beautiful specimens against the city’s backdrop.
Today, you will come across Roman pines in public parks, private gardens and on some of the main avenues of the Eternal City.
So, on your next visit to Rome, look up. Some pini romani can surge to over 30 metres. You will see so many more adorning the beautiful blue Roman skies and crowning the city than you had ever noticed before. While the pine is found in many countries around the Mediterranean, Rome has the edge for admiring them in an urban setting.
Don’t wait too long, though: a parasite originating in North America has started attacking the pines. It slowly reduces its capacity for photosynthesis, causing the needles to fall off and eventually the tree to die. And while the city authorities and horticulturists are planning interventions to fight it, hundreds of trees have been felled over the past few years.
This has led to outrage across Rome. Recently, hundreds of concerned residents brought traffic to a standstill in Piazza Venezia in the city centre to call for a halt to the cull and more investment in the upkeep and preservation of the Roman pine. The city council seems to have taken heed and is now sourcing 50 to 60 trees grown specifically to resist the parasite to be replanted in the centre of the city.
Here’s where to admire these beautiful specimens in Rome.
Villa Borghese
Start your morning early with a jog across the beautiful pine-rich gardens of the Villa Borghese; take a break at the terrace on the Passeggiata del Pincio and, through the umbrella canopy, enjoy the view across to St Peter’s. Directions
Via dei Fori Imperiali
Mussolini’s hat-tip to imperial Rome, this sweeping avenue leading from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum is fringed with towering pines on either side. Stroll a little further by the Arch of Constantine on your quest for the birthplace of the city and you will see more of them around the Forum and on the Palatine Hill. Directions
Appian Way Regional Park and the Appian Way
Head to the Appian Way Regional Park, where the first and most famous of the ancient Roman roads originates. You will soon realise how the Roman pines epitomise the perfect marriage of nature and urban civilisation. Continue along the Appian Way and, following the trail of statuesque pines towards the outskirts of the city, you will reach the Roman burial grounds known as the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus and Domitilla, ethereal underground ruins that will transport you back to centuries long gone by. Website; Directions
Ostia Antica
Take a 30-minute train to the archaeological site of Ostia Antica, the ancient harbour of Rome, where you will see decorative pines among the stunning ruins and also a huge pine forest nearby. Go for a swim off Ostia’s golden sands and then enjoy plate of spaghetti con vongole at one of the many seafront restaurants. If travelling back by car on the Via Cristoforo Colombo, you will see 27km of straight road back into Rome flanked by hundreds of Roman pines standing tall like sentinels in a guard of honour welcoming you into the city. Website; Directions
Castel Sant’Angelo
Back in the centre, stop by the gardens of Castel Sant’Angelo (where, at the end of Puccini’s Tosca, the titular heroine famously throws herself off the rooftop). They are home to beautiful examples of Pinus pinea. Website; Directions
St Peter’s Basilica
And finally, don’t leave Rome without climbing to the top of the dome of St Peter’s in the Vatican. Get there early (its doors open at 7am) to dodge the tourists. At 551 steps it’s not for the faint-hearted, but I promise that once you reach the top, as you walk around the entire cupola you will see one of the most beautiful views in the world, full of magnificent examples of Roman pines. It was designed by Michelangelo and has unobstructed views — what better place to recall Wordsworth’s magic hymn to the verdant giant? Website; Directions
Where is your favourite spot in Rome to see stone pines? Tell us in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
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