A 2,400-year-old plane tree (Platanus), believed to be one of the oldest in the world and a symbol of history and nature on the island of Crete in Greece, has partially collapsed, according to authorities in the village of Krasi.
A large part of the plane tree, located in the village of Krasi on Crete, has snapped off and fallen on the road, which had to be closed down as a result. According to Zaharias Doxastakis, the mayor of Hersonissos, the regional unit of Crete where the village of Krasi is located, the historic tree has faced several issues in recent years. He added that experts are currently looking into ways to protect the tree.
“We will continue [with these efforts],” the mayor said, noting that the part of the tree that fell off had undergone restoration work in the past so as to secure it.
Doxastakis attributed the collapse of the ancient plane tree to the gusty winds that slammed the area the previous night and the already fragile state of the plane tree.
A plane tree on Crete in Greece with a very long history that was also a Kazantzakis favorite
At the heart of the mountain village of Krasi in central Crete, among other evergreen plane trees and in the vicinity of water fountains that never dry, stands the largest plane of all. Affectionately known as “Geroplatanos” (meaning “old man platanus”) among the locals, it is said the plane tree could even potentially be the oldest in the world and certainly, as foresters have confirmed, one of the oldest in Europe.
Though there is no concrete evidence to confirm its exact age, according to estimates, the plane tree, which takes about ten people to hug it, is around 2,400 years old. The diameter of its trunk is about 24 meters. Experts say each meter is equal to one hundred years.
The perennial tree has gigantic branches and foliage so dense it practically covers the entire village square where it is located. It is an ecosystem of its own, and, every year, it attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. The ancient plane tree has lived through countless historic moments, and one of its most prominent admirers was Nikos Kazantzakis.
Kazantzakis, one of the most acclaimed Greek writers, spent many a summer vacation in Krasi, the birthplace of his wife, Galatea Alexiou, between 1910 and 1920. According to testimonies of village elders, the great Cretan writer used to study and write in the plane tree’s shadow, occasionally even inviting other scholars to the village and forming the so-called “literary company of Krasi.”
In 2011, the ancient plane tree of Krasi was declared a preserved natural monument by presidential decree.