Audioguide

Age-old Chestnut Tree in Entrambosríos

This beautiful chestnut tree, a giant 15 metres tall and more than 9 metres in girth, stands in a fairytale copse. It is in a native wood that has a number of other centuries old chestnut trees and the remains of drying houses and traditional mills dating back over 700 years.

After seeing it, it might be said that this incredible tree is the father of all chestnut trees. It is undoubtedly the oldest surviving witness to the landscape and traditions of this forest, where chestnut trees were grafted onto native varieties producing edible chestnuts that suited the climate and soil of the area.

The production of chestnuts has been one of the major sources of income of the entire area for many years. There are many two-storey stone and wood chestnut drying houses, locally known as “sequeiros”. On the first floor was a bed and a kitchen, while upstairs, just above the kitchen, the chestnuts were spread out on long branches that were laid slightly apart to facilitate the smoking process.

Once they were dry, the chestnuts were put into cloth bags and beaten on a hard surface in order to shell them, in a process known as “stomping” the chestnuts. Lastly, the chestnuts were winnowed in a basket to finish cleaning them off before storage.

This chestnut tree undoubtedly produced excellent chestnuts. It was the best tree in the grove, which accounts for its longevity and its large size.