Green Cathedral - a living sanctuary for the future

Near Bergamo, in northern Italy, at the foot of Mount Arera, a... cathedral has been growing for several years. Quite literally, because 42 beech trees have been included in its structure, which in 20-25 years will form the walls and roof of the cathedral with their branches and leaves. The green cathedral is the work of Italian artist Giuliano Mauri.

The Green Cathedral, the spiritual legacy of Giuliano Mauri

Giuliano Mauri, also called the forest weaver, was known for creating works of natural architectureă. He used twigs, pieces of wood and other organic materials, which he weaved together to create natural works, sometimes ephemeral because of the materials they were made from. Totally in love with wood and nature, in 2009 he started building a living cathedral at the base of Mount Arera. In the same year he died and the work was completed in 2010 by his son and his collaborators.

The plant cathedral - the cathedral of the trees or the green cathedral, as it has been called - is the artist's testament and spiritual legacy, a memorial to his work and his life. It will continue to grow and form as if the artist were still there. Beeches planted will unite their branches and form the walls and roof over time, in memory and immortality of the artist.

In time, the transition will be made from the work of man to the work of nature

The 42 columns together form a basilica with 5 naos (aisles). Poles of fir, chestnut and hazel branches have been woven together to create supporting structures for the 42 beech trees that are planted inside. All these structures represent the columns of the cathedral. As planned, as the beech trees grow, the structure around them will be damaged, making a smooth transition from the work of man to the work of nature.

To give you an idea of the size of the plant cathedral here are some figures. It used 1,800 poles of fir, 600 of chestnut, 6,000 meters of hazel branches joined together with nails, tacks and small pieces of wood. It occupies 650 m², over 30 meters long and 27 meters wide. The height varies between 5 and 25 meters.

The Green Cathedral is one of the most impressive plant structures in the world. But it's not the only one the artist has created. In 2001, as part of the Arte Sella event, an exhibition of natural environmental art was created near Trento, Italy, another impressive natural cathedral.