Cypresses are a powerful symbol of nature and of Tuscany, but especially of the Val d'Orcia.
The slender, stately Mediterranean cypress, the Cupressus sempervirens, is often planted in gardens and parks. Its wood is also valuable. In Italy, for example, cypress wood was used to build harpsichords. The tree can reach a height of up to 25 m.
In classical antiquity, the cypress symbolized mourning, and even today the tree symbolizes death. Many cemeteries in Tuscany are planted with cypress trees.