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Area Naturale Protetta di Interesse Locale Foresta di Sant'Antonio

 

Points of Interest

Historical Outline

S.Antonio Forest does not have a well-defined history it can exclusively refer to. Part of the land forming today the protected area, together with the lands of Vallombrosa, were given around the year 1000 by noble families - among which Earls Guidi, Adimari and the monastery of S.Ilario in Fiano (S.Ellero, Reggello) - to the monks of Vallombrosa. The latter, with Giovanni Gualberto, founded in Vallombrosa in 1039 the monastic order of the Benedictine monks. For this reason, the silvicultural and historical events of this forest have followed the events of the largest complex they belonged to: the forest of Vallombrosa, managed by the monks. The area was dominated by "Turkey Oaks and other trees" and "Beeches", as we can infer from the deed of gift made by the abbess of St.Ilario to the monks of Vallombrosa.
In 1586 the monks created a forest land register containing more precise information on the land which will subsequently form the forest of "S.Antonio". The oak woods are described as mixed formations of Turkey Oaks and Downy Oaks growing together with Chestnut Trees, Ash Trees, and Hornbeams and, at higher altitudes, Beeches. Without a doubt, the chestnut tree was very widespread given its importance in the diet of both men and animals; moreover, the prevalence of coppice trees provided the poles that were used to support vineyards. The beeches, above the 1,000 meters, formed pure beech woods, presumably not so thick and uniform as the present ones, considering the intense cattle breeding of that time and the need to use large clearings to cultivate potatoes, rye, and wheat.
The Fir Tree was not very widespread; however, when in the second half of the 17th century this wood became object of an important trade, the monks began to extend its cultivation, above all in the northern section of the forest of Vallombrosa.
The section of S.Antonio, where broadleaf trees dominated, was neglected and the beech woods forgotten, probably also due to the prohibition by the Grand Duke of Tuscany to "cut in the mile within the mountains ridge". When in 1789 the Grand Duke ordered the census of all the properties owned by the monasteries, the forest owned by the abbey of Vallombrosa, including the place known as Balze di S.Antonio, covering about 198 ha, reached the 840 hectares and were characterized by the following formations:

 
 

Woodlands owned by the monks of Vallombrosa in 1789:


Kind of Woodland ha
Pure Fir Tree Wood 180 ha
Pure Beech Wood 180 ha
Mixed Wood of Beech and other Broadleaf Trees 80 ha
Mixed Wood of Fir, Beech, and Turkey Oak 29 ha
Mixed Wood of Oaks, Chestnut Tree, and Broadleaf Trees 125 ha
Chestnut Tree Ranging Rod 40 ha
Pastures, Meadows, and Chestnut Tree Woods annexed to the estates 120 ha
Vegetable Gardens and Meadows 90 ha

In 1860, Tuscany was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia and with the enforcement of the laws of Savoia the properties of the monks of Vallombrosa, including the forest, were transferred to the State Property General Directorate, with the creation of the first forest State properties which were subsequently declared inalienable. The improvement measures favoring the Silver Fir high forests and, at the same time, the introduction of Spruce Fir, Larch, Scots Pine, and Austrian Pine date back to this period.
The strong demand of timber during the First and Second World Wars led to continuous low-level cuts in the forest, above all in the Fir Tree, Beech, and Chestnut Tree woods. After the destruction caused by the war, in the years 43/44 two violent fires almost completely destroyed 154 ha of coppice beech woods in the section of S.Antonio. The subsequent reforestation activities promoted the increase in artificial conifer woods to the detriment of spontaneous broadleaf tree formations.
In this situation, the forest of S.Antonio stood out because it maintained a more naturalistic silviculture formed by about 198 hectares of coppice beeches, belonging to the ancient state property, plus 770 hectares of other coppice and shrubby woods purchased by the State in the 60s, for a total of 975 ha. In 1975 the whole forest of S.Antonio, covering 1059.25.34 ha, was given by the State to Regione Toscana, definitively separating from Vallombrosa and becoming a regional state forest. In 1977 it passed again to the Mountain Community Pratomagno, a local authority whose functions include the enhancement and management of the regional state heritage.
 
 
 
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