Caesarsboom

Caesarsboom (West Flemish: Caesar's Tree) is a very old tree whose precise age is unknown but is believed to be over 2000 years in age. The ancient tree grows in Lo, a town in Lo-Reninge, a municipality of the West Flanders region of Belgium. Its species is "Taxus baccata", common name European Yew. The tree is designated a national monument of Belgium. [http://www.fortifications.org/themes.cfm?lang=en Walking the Walls: Kent County Council, "le Syndicat Mixte de la Côte d'Opale" and the Province of West Flanders] .]

According to a long-held local legend, Julius Caesar stopped at this tree during his military campaign in the area en route to " Britannia" in 55 BC, tied his horse to it, and took a nap in the shadow of its foliage. [http://www.gamber.net/cyclebel/westhoek.htm Cycling Belgium's Waterways] ] [ [http://www.lauka.be/lo.php?itemno=3 Website van V.V.V. Lo-Reninge vzw: Westpoort en Caesarsboom] (in Dutch)] [http://www.toerismewesthoek.be/westhoek/index.aspx] "de Westhoek, pure vakantieland" (in Dutch)] According to one source, although the road passing by the tree might date from the era of Imperial Rome, it is not likely that Julius Caesar came to this area.

The tree grows beside the last extant city gate, of four medieval arches built in the 14th century (and restored both in 1852 and 1991); at the time the town was less than 400 meters in diameter. Caesarsboom stands adjacent to a house called "Het Damberd" ("The Draught-board House") which written sources from 1499 show once housed the oldest of the four breweries which used to exist in the town of Lo. [http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Belgium/Provincie_West_Vlaanderen/Reninge-349516/Things_To_Do-Reninge-BR-1.html Virtual Tourist: Reninge Travel Guide] ] [http://flagspot.net/flags/be-vwvlr.html] Flags Of The World website: Lo-Reninge (Municipality, Province of West Flanders, Belgium)] [http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Belgium/LoGuide.htm] A Short Guide to Lo]

Although the trunk is partially hollow and some of its branches are supported with iron pins, the tree is apparently still growing and has even increased in size over the last century. [ [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarsboom Dutch Wikipedia] (no reference given)]

ee also

*List of trees

References