Tracing Stories about Trees in a Treeless (?) Island Landscape

The Mediterranean cultural landscapes often give the impression of treeless places that over the centuries have been destroyed by human presence, reinforcing the theory of a ‘paradise lost’. However, in the small picture, the Mediterranean landscapes are full of details of the coexistence of trees and people, while their trees reveal secrets of a life adapted to long hot summers, little rain, grazing and a long human presence. Sea cypress, pines, cypresses, tamarisks, olives and oaks, native or imported trees, present or absent, they all have their own stories to tell about the people, their place and even their journeys. We will trace such stories while walking around Marpissa discussing the history and evolution of the Aegean landscape of the Cyclades.