Chêne d'Allouville, Chapel oak tree in Allouville-Bellefosse, France
The Chêne d'Allouville is an oak tree containing two small chapels inside its hollow trunk in Allouville-Bellefosse, France. The tree rises 11 meters (36 feet) tall with a circumference of 10 meters (33 feet), and a wooden staircase leads to the upper chapel.
In 1793, during the French Revolution, village schoolteacher Jean Baptiste Bonheure saved the tree from destruction by renaming it Temple of Reason. This clever renaming gave it a republican meaning and preserved it from revolutionary fires.
The two chapels inside the trunk represent Notre-Dame de la Paix and the Hermit's Chamber, established by Father du Detroit in 1696. Visitors can step through a narrow wooden door and enter the small prayer niche, which remains in use for quiet devotion.
The hollow trunk remains open for visits throughout the year, with a wooden staircase leading to the second chapel inside. The steps are narrow and the space is tight, so the visit suits those without mobility concerns.
Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, presented a gilded wooden statue of the Virgin Mary to the tree. This statue still stands in the lower chapel, recalling the imperial visit during the 19th century.
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