Planted by the romans

Three giant olive trees, one of them more than 2'000 years old, have been brought over to Palma by the Viveros Paradis in Consell. The largest weighs 18 tons and the perimeter of its trunk is eight metres, making it one of the ten oldest in Spain. It is believed that it was planted by the Romans. The other two trees are more than 1'000 years old and weighed 12 and 14 tons. Giant cranes were needed to lift the trees and put them into place. Once they have settled in and started to sprout, within a few months' time, they will be put on sale. Jean Claude Bastida, the nursery's owner, said the price has not been fixed yet, but the largest one could cost as much as 60'000 euros. These trees were brought over from Tarragona, although Majorca itself is famous for its olive trees, once one of the mainstays of the island economy. Most of the large estates had their own presses for making olive oil, and although nearly all of them have since disappeared, in recent years there has been a revival and now Majorcan olive oil can be found on most supermarket shelves.