For years, Milva Caboni has been fighting her battle to defend the tree that majestically dominates the garden, close to the concrete wall that divides her property from that of the parish. It happens in the parish district, the historic center of San Sperate , precisely on the border line between the oratory and the garden of the home of Milva Caboni, an entrepreneur. The tree has a gigantic crown that overlooks the oratory field with its mighty arms, which the parish does not like, and would like to proceed with a drastic pruning of the branches towering over her property.
"It's an oak tree that's been here for 300 years, a wonderful monument of nature within the town. Such a drastic intervention would end up killing it," warns Milva. "Cutting the branches is equivalent to mutilating the plant, putting its health at risk and leaving it defenseless against parasite attacks. The only intervention that could be done is to lighten the foliage above the field toilet."
"Do you know how dirty the leaves are? We have to clean constantly, not just on windy days," is the reply of Father Antonio Cirulli, parish priest of San Sperate. "And then there are safety issues, the children of our oratory play here," he warns, pointing to the wall that serves as a backrest for the steps, above which one of the mighty branches of the plant towers.
"I certainly don't want to wage war," says the parish priest. "We will prune only where it is possible to intervene and following all the instructions that will be given to us. " Milva looks at the great oak and warns: "Such a beautiful tree is a treasure for the town, a green lung within the inhabited center. Mutilating it is mortally wounding a living being."