Avellino: Historic tree collapses in Villa Comunale

A large holm oak tree collapsed in the Villa Comunale of Avellino on a Saturday afternoon. No injuries were reported, as the park had been precautionally closed due to weather alerts.

Legambiente Avellino has called for increased transparency and better management of urban greenery following the incident. Antonio Dello Iaco, vice president of Legambiente Avellino, stated that this is not an isolated event, noting that other historic trees, including a monumental plane tree and a sempervirens sequoia, have fallen or been cut down in recent years.

The association revealed that requests to designate this specific holm oak as a city monument had been submitted as far back as 2020. Despite reports sent to the municipality in December 2020 and July 2024 regarding decay in the trunk, the municipality had requested further integrative tests to verify stability before involving the Campania Region. Legambiente is now demanding clarity on what analyses were performed and is calling for better protection of the city's historical botanical assets.