Conservation Efforts for Historic Horsechestnut Avenues in Brescia Area

They were already standing during the Battle of Solferino and San Martino, but now, after a century and a half, some of them are feeling the weight of age, human neglect, and especially the toxins from pollution caused by car exhaust gases.

Indeed, the beautiful avenue of horsechestnuts welcoming those arriving from Brescia to Lonato is a striking landmark. It has been so for over 150 years, and its maintenance and care have been a topic of debate, sometimes heated, during recent administrative elections.

Recent Interventions and Future Plans

Now, the local government has decided that words are no longer sufficient and that it’s time to act, launching a tender that encompasses two areas of intervention: the horsechestnut trees themselves and urban furnishings. There are plans to transform the sidewalk alongside the trees, which is currently quite uneven and in a state of disrepair, into a cohesive urban-use project.

It will be necessary to carry out a careful assessment of the health status of the horsechestnuts first. Other neighboring municipalities have already undertaken radical conservation efforts, such as grafting infusions into various layers of bark and trunk, and using bags containing antiparasitic and revitalizing substances that have piqued passersby’s curiosity and yielded positive botanical results.

Experiments and Conservation Initiatives

The first to use infusion treatments were the residents of Trento. Now, this experiment is being successfully repeated wherever ancient horsechestnut avenues exist. The latest case in the area is Viale Boschetti, in the nearby Castiglione delle Stiviere.

The redesign of the sidewalks beneath the trees includes creating bike lanes, pedestrian areas, installing wooden benches, and upgrading lighting.