The Christmas tree gifted to Pope Francis by the Municipality of Macra (Cuneo) and which will be erected in St. Peter's Square for the holidays is on its way to Rome. A group of parishioners came up with the concept eight years ago during the Assumption feast in the church of the hamlet of Albaretto. They wrote to the Holy See, and their candidacy for Christmas 2023 was accepted. The 27-meter-tall fir tree, with a diameter of 12 meters at the base, was removed from one of the woodlands at nearly 1800 meters above sea level in Curbia, dubbed "Il Paradiso" by the locals. A significant number of lumberjacks from Albaretto emigrated to the United States at the close of the 19th century in order to convert the sequoia timber into railroad sleepers for the western region. The plant (6.5 tons) is a gift from the land's private owner. The mast was harnessed and vertically anchored beneath an Erickson S-64 F "Sky Crane" aircraft. It was flown by European Air Crane pilots Joerg Wiedenhofer and Teddi Foppoli from Levaldigi. The tree was then loaded onto a 22-meter-long truck and driven to St. Peter's Square, where it would be decorated. The operation cost 65 thousand euros, which were paid by the Ministry of the Interior, governmental entities, sponsors, and company assistance.