Quercus pubescens (Downy Oak). This oak tree, known by two names Roure dels Capellans (The Chaplains’ Oak) or Roure de la Font del Bac (The Bac Fountain Oak) has a height of 15.5 metres, a girth (trunk width) of 6.23 metres and an average crown of 21.3 metres. This oak has the broadest trunk in Catalonia. It was said that: “Seven chaplains are needed to embrace it.” According to Martí Renart (also known as Martí de les Arcades) (1960): “It’s so big that it would take a 22-palm-width hand saw to saw through it.” On the way to the large, fortified house of Falgars or the Espinau Farmhouse, there are other remarkable specimens still standing in the middle of rather decimated forests. These are the last testimonies of the trees that were cut down to make space, especially for train crossings. The oak is located in Lliurona and is also known as Roure dels Capellans. It has been declared a monumental tree and has been protected since 1992.
Photograph from the INSPAI Collection, specifically from the Ernest Costa Collection. Photograph taken in 1995, in which the Font del Bac Oak Tree, one of the most important trees in the Alta Garrotxa can be seen. Its robust appearance is evident, making it one of the largest specimens in Catalonia and listed as a monumental tree by the Catalan Government. In the area it is also known as the Roure dels Capellans (Chaplains’ Oak), as it is said that seven chaplains are required to embrace the entire trunk of the oak.
Location
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Camí Dels Trulls, 17734 Albañá, Provincia de Gerona, España
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