In a small village in France, there exists an oak tree that has endured since the times of Louis IX, and inside it houses not one but two small chapels. Located in Allouville-Bellefosse, the tree is the oldest in France.
Known as the “Chêne Chapelle,” the oak houses the chapels of Notre Dame de la Paix and the Chambre de l’Ermite, thereby providing two places of worship for the religious. It is not known exactly when the chapels were embedded inside the oak, but it is estimated that they date back several centuries.
At the end of the 17th century, the tree survived a fire caused by a lightning strike, which ultimately created a hole in the interior of the tree. Interpreting the event as a divine sign, the local priest asked that the oak be transformed into a chapel.
However, the existence of the tree has been known since the reign of Louis IX of France (1214–1270), which makes it at least about eight hundred years old. Since then, the oak has endured the Hundred Years’ War, the Black Death, the Protestant Reformation, and the French Revolution.
Today, the tree welcomes thousands of faithful visitors who come to the site, and its longevity is beginning to show signs of strain, as internal and external supports are already needed to support it.
