The sweet-chestnut orchard

Marker 4The sweet-chestnut tree is a native species, but its cultivation really began in the Middle Ages, with a very significant expansion in the 16th century, until it declined as an economic resource in the 19th century. The chestnut tree was the pivotal tree of a civilisation, because of the high quality of its wood, which is very resistant; because of the fact that it bears fruit fairly regularly, feeding both humans and animals; and through the use of its foliage and tannin. It is therefore not surprising to see old chestnut orchards near mas (farmhouses). Grafted chestnut trees (identifiable by the bulge on the trunk) produce nuts. The rest, called bouscas, are not intended to be productive.