Oak Tree of The Pazo de Cartelos

This is the biggest oak tree on the forest, and one of the most impressive in Galicia, so that both the forest and the tree are listed in the Galician Catalogue of Singular Trees. This specimen is estimated to be 500 years old and has impressive dimensions, as it is almost 35 metres tall and 11 metres in diameter.

On the trunk of the oak tree, near the bottom, is a group of tumours, called cysts, that reach a height of 1.2 metres. These tumours are produced by bacteria and do not affect the health of the tree.

The land on which this impressive tree stands was given by the crown to its former owners in the 9th century, as payment for fighting against the Arabs. There are documents dating from 1333 that tell of the property that was distributed, including the wood in which the tree stands.

The site is close to the old Royal Road from Ourense to Lugo and Santiago de Compostela, which was built on the Roman road linking Braga in Portugal to Lugo and Padrón, which itself had been a vital artery for trade and culture in Roman Hispania.

José Luis Taboada, one of the last owners of the estate and a lover of trees, spent his last days at the manor house. A doctor and a descendent of the Témelos-Taboada family, he was famous not only for his interest in the tree and in getting it catalogued, he was also civil governor of Salamanca, national provincial delegate, chairman of the Marine Social Institute, chairman of the Healthcare Activities Union, a councillor of the realm and director general for domestic policy.