Quercia delle Checche, Sessile oak in Val d'Orcia, Pienza, Italy

The Quercia delle Checche is a sessile oak (Quercus petraea) in the locality of Le Checche, in the municipality of Pienza. Its dark grey-brown trunk, about 4.90 metres around, splits into heavy limbs that carry a crown over 34 metres wide; the tree is 19 metres tall. It stands in a grassy field enclosed by a low wooden post-and-rail fence.

The oak dates back to 1640, making it centuries old. It survived the widespread deforestation that occurred during the construction of the Rome-Florence railway in the late 1800s.

The name comes from the Tuscan word for the jay, the cecca or checca, birds once common around the tree. People of the valley still hold weddings and meetings beneath it, and many come simply to embrace or speak to it; the Opera Val d'Orcia collects these testimonies, poems and photographs.

This oak is accessible by several hiking trails that cross the Tuscan countryside around Pienza. Wear sturdy shoes and plan for a full walk through the rolling hills to reach and explore the area around it.

The tree's name comes from the Tuscan word for the jay, the cecca or checca, a bird once common around the plain of Orcia. The oak is also known locally as the querciona or quercione, and couples still meet beneath it to pledge their love.