In Italy’s Valley of Ledro, nestled near the old Austro-Hungarian border just kilo-meters from Lake Garda, locals are rallying to save a 200-year-old fir tree, famously known as the Green Giant. Towering at thirty meters and standing for centuries, this maje-stic tree has weathered wars, snowstorms, and survived the ax of carpenters. Now, it faces a new threat: being cut down and transported to Vatican City as the Christmas tree for St. Peter’s Square.
Residents of Ledro, who see the fir as more than just a tree, have written directly to Pope Francis in hopes of preventing what they deem an anachronistic massacre. They also launched a petition on Change.org, which has garnered 40,000 signatures so far, and secured legal counsel to help block the tree’s removal. Local environmental advocates and community associations argue that cutting down a tree for a holiday display contradicts efforts to combat climate change. Talking about protecting the environment means challenging outdated traditions like these,” they noted in a statement, emphasizing the contradiction of celebrating Christmas by sacrificing a tree that symbolizes nature itself. They propose decorating the fir where it stands in Passo Nota, allowing it to continue shading hikers who stop there after long climbs.
Residents further invoked Pope Francis’ own words on environmental stewardship, referencing his encyclicals calling for respect for nature. “We ask His Holiness to prevent this felling and instead come visit the Valley to experience its natural beauty firsthand,” the letter implores.
Beyond the emotional and environmental reasons, residents also have financial con-cerns. Lorenzo Vescovi, a representative from the Forty-Three Million Committee (a name symbolizing the 40 trees donated by the Ledro Council to the Vatican and the estimated three million Christmas trees cut down annually in Italy), notes that the trans-port of the Green Giant to the Vatican comes with a staggering 60,000 price tag. Many argue that the funds could be better used to address pressing needs within the Ledro community, such as medical care, where shortages of general practitioners are impacting health services.