There is no doubt that when we think of Rome, one of the first images that come to mind is, for example, the Colosseum or the Trevi Fountain. In my case, there is another image that I usually associate with this wonderful city, "the pines of Rome".  Every time I arrive in Rome for a visit, their majesty and alluring grace seems to offer me the first glorious "welcome" greeting.

Perhaps not everyone knows that these trees, so fascinating, evocative and omnipresent in the Roman landscape, have a very ancient history. It is estimated that in Rome alone there are around 60,000 of them. They were so numerous in some areas that an entire neighborhood of Rome was called “Pigneto” due to their abundance in the landscape.

For me, the pine trees of Rome are one of the most iconic images of the eternal city and represent true living monuments that mark the evolution of the history of the eternal city. But how and when did these majestic trees arrive in Rome? And who planted them?

Stone pines (“pini domestici”, in Italian) are native to the Mediterranean area and have been part of the landscape for over 6,000 years. These trees, or Pinus Pinea Pinales as for their Latin name, were already appreciated by the Ottomans, the Etruscans and the Romans who planted them in abundance. They were highly appreciated during the Roman Republic for their beauty and because they symbolized spring and immortality. Interestingly, the health of these trees was believed to reflect the health of the Republic.

In addition to the great visual and symbolic impact, this cultivar also produces pine nuts which were harvested for food purposes, forming part of the diet of the Roman armies, but also a trade commodity.

These trees are so statuesque and graceful that they have been painted by artists such as Botticelli, praised in poetry, such as the “Pines of Monte Mario at Rome”, by William Wordsworth, or Ovid in the Metamorphoses, as well as by composers such as Ottorino Resphigi. One of his most performed and loved pieces is the symphonic poem entitled: “I Pini di Roma”.

In the early twentieth century a large number of pine trees were planted to beautify the urban landscape and were also included in the design of the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II and in many parks in Rome.

The average lifespan of these pines can vary from 50 to 150 years. In recent times, these trees have been threatened by the presence of parasites. Fortunately, measures have been taken to control the disease and protect them both nationally and regionally, with the approval of a specific law for the conservation and planting of new trees.

Whether we are walking through the neighborhoods of Rome, gazing from the Pincio terrazza or the Gianicolo balcony at sunset, or cycling on the via Appia Antica we will undoubtedly stop to admire, enchanted, the beauty of the Rome’s pines. These green and majestic giants, that have been there for thousands of years, will remind us that we are standing in none other than the extraordinary city of Rome, the caput mundi and eternal city.