Kaštelanska maslina pod zaštitom UNESCO-a

JOKO SVALINA

U Kaštel Štafiliću, pokraj nove poštanske zgrade i dječjeg vrtića, pedesetak metara od kaštelanske ceste, pozornost plijeni ogromno stablo masline. Riječ je o drvetu koje je, uz sekvoju u Sjevernoj Americi staru više od 3000 godina, jedno od najstarijih stabala u svijetu.
Ova maslina je iznimno lijepog oblika, a i vitalna je: od njezinih plodova svake se godine priređuje više desetaka litara vrlo kvalitetnog ulja, o kojem tamošnji stanovnici kažu da je sveto, a daruje se crkvama na području Kaštelanske rivijere, te se koristi i za pomazanje. Ove godine očekuje se od uroda te masline čak pedesetak litara ulja! To što maslina »puca od zdravlja«, treba zahvaliti plodnoj zemlji i podzemnim vodama zapadnog dijela Kaštela, te činjenici što se stablo ne nalazi u industrijskom bazenu.
Kaštelani svoju maslinu, koja je inače dočekala Hrvate, s pažnjom čuvaju, a često su uz nju i ispod nje – posebice u sparnim ljetnim danima u vrijeme »zvizdana«. Zaklon od sunčevih zraka pruža krošnja promjera 15 metara, a opseg debla na visini od 1,30 metara je 6,14 metara. Ova gotovo vršnjakinja Dioklecijanova grada uvedena je 25. travnja 1990. godine u registar zaštićenih spomenika prirode Hrvatske.
»O izuzetnoj važnosti kaštelanske masline svjedoči podatak da je pokrenuta široka inicijativa da stablo dođe pod zaštitu svjetske prirodne baštine UNESCO-a«, priča predsjednica Pokreta prirode – ogranak Kaštela, Ivna Bućan, inače voditeljica botaničkog vrta u Kaštel Lukšiću. »O njoj brinu Kaštelani, posebice članovi kaštelanskog Društva za zaštitu prirode i kulturne baštine 'Bijači'. Maslina nije divlja, već pitoma, ali je nepoznate sorte. Stalno se uređuje: stručnjaci obavljaju sanaciju, revitalizaciju, što je zacijelo produžilo njezinu vitalnost i plodnost«, dodaje gđa Bućan.
Tradicija masline i dalje je prisutna u Kaštel Lukšiću. Prema riječima gđe Bućan, u blizini starog stabla, u krugu škole uređen je maslinik u kojem je posađeno 40 sorti sa 170 stabala maslina iz svih zemalja Sredozemlja, te je po broju vrsta taj maslinik najbogatiji na Jadranu. »I ovime želimo prenijeti ljubav prema maslini i tradiciju njegovanja na mlade«, govori gđa Bućan. »S time u svezi, već šestu godinu priređujemo izbor najljepšeg maslinika na području Splitsko-dalmatinske županije. Prošle godine prva nagrada pripala je masliniku u Kučišćima na otoku Braču. Pridružio nam se Hrvatski zavod za poljoprivredno-savjetodavnu službu i Centar za razvitak otoka.«
Da bi maslina kao turistička atrakcija bila upečatljivija, neophodno je nastaviti s uređenjem prostora oko masline, a to – prije svega – znači iznaći potreban novac. U Kaštel Štafiliću vjeruju da hoće, a to bi ubrzalo uređenje okoliša oko masline, uz ostalo i postavljanje oznaka koje bi vidljivo pokazivale gdje se nalazi taj prirodni spomenik.

Vjesnik - Zagreb, Sept. 12, 1999

Kastela's Olive Tree under UNESCO protection

Partial translation:

In Kaštel Staflić, near the new post office building and kindergarden, 50m from the Kastela road, our attention is focused on the enormous olive tree. We are talking about a tree which, together with the more than 3000 year-old North American sequoia (Sequoiadendron), is one of the oldest trees in the world.

The inhabitants of Kasteli, even more so in the summer months, take special care of their olive tree, the witness to the arrival of the Croats . The shade from the sun is offered by the tree crown 15m in diameter, while the trunk at the height of 1.3m is 6.14m wide. Almost the same age as the Diocletian's palace, it was registered as one of the protected natural Croatian monuments on April 25, 1990.

CROATIA WEEKLY, Zagreb, April 14, 2000

ECOLOGY

UNESCO MAY PLACE KAŠTEL OLIVE TREE UNDER PROTECTION

An exceptionally large olive tree located about fifty yards from the main road in Kaštel Štafilic, next to the new post office and kindergarten, attracts quite a bit of attention. This tree is, along with the three thousand year-old giant Sequoias of North America, among the oldest trees in the world.

This olive tree has a very attractive form, and it still bears fruit: every year its olives are used to produce several dozen liters of fine olive oil. The local residents say this oil is sacred, and they give it to the churches in the Kaštel Riviera. It is even used in the performance of last rites and anointment of the sick. This year as much as fifty liters of oil are expected from the tree's olive harvest. The fact that this olive tree "is bursting with health," can be attributed to the fertile soil and the water table in the western section of the Kaštel area. The fact that the tree is located well outside of the industrial zone certainly helps as well.

Kaštel natives have carefully preserved this tree, which was already there to await the arrival of the Croats in this region. Locals can often be found resting under it or near it at the height of the hot and humid summer days. Shelter from the sun?s rays can be found under its canopy, which is fifteen meters in diameter. The extent of the trunk at a height of 1.3 meters is 6.14 meters. This tree, almost as old as the nearby city of Split (established in the third century BC), was entered into Croatia's register of protected natural monuments on April 25, 1990."

The exceptional importance of the Kaštel olive tree is proven by the fact that a broad initiative has been launched to place it under the protection of UNESCO's international natural heritage list," said Ivana Bucan, the president of the Kaštel branch of the Nature Movement. Bucan also heads the Kaštel Lukšic Botanical Gardens. "The tree is cared for by Kaštel residents, particularly the members of the local Bijaci Natural Protection and Cultural Heritage Society. The olive tree is not wild, but rather domesticated, although the exact variety is unknown. It is constantly being worked on: experts are rehabilitating and revitalizing the surrounding terrain, which has certainly extended the tree's vitality and fertility," Bucan added.

The tradition of olive trees is still present in Kaštel Lukšic as well. According to Bucan, near the old tree, on the school grounds, an olive grove has been set up. Forty varieties of olives (170 trees) from all Mediterranean countries have been planted here. This makes it the richest olive grove in the Adriatic. "With this we want to hand down the tradition of loving olives and raising them to our children," Bucan stated. "In this vein, we have instituted a contest for the most beautiful olive grove in Split-Dalmatia County, which has been held for the past six years. Last year first place went to an olive grove in Kucišci on the island of Brac. We have been joined in this by the Croatian Agricultural Advisory Service and the Island Development Center."

Making the olive tree a recognizable tourist attraction will require the continuation of efforts to landscape the terrain around the tree, and this " more than anything else " means finding the necessary funds. People in Kaštel Štafilic believe this will happen, and they hope to place visible signs and markers in the vicinity to show visitors precisely where this natural monument stands.

(Vjesnik)