Chêne de Saint Jean, Ancient oak tree in Allouville-Bellefosse, France
The Chêne de Saint Jean stands 15 meters tall with a base circumference of 16 meters, featuring two chapels built within its hollow trunk.
The tree survived the French Revolution when a local resident protected it by declaring it the Temple of Reason, preventing its destruction by revolutionaries.
Two chapels inside the tree, Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix and the Chambre de l'Ermite, continue to host weekly religious services and annual pilgrimages on August 15.
Visitors can access the internal chapels through a spiral staircase that wraps around the trunk, while wooden shingles protect areas where bark has fallen.
Lightning struck the oak when it was 500 years old, creating a hollow center that allowed for the construction of two separate chapel spaces inside.
GPS coordinates: 49.35610,2.90303
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:49
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