Chapelle du Chêne, Medieval chapel in Vimartin-sur-Orthe, France.
The Chapelle du Chêne is a medieval chapel where a large oak tree grows naturally inside the stone walls. The space fills with prayer books, candles, and personal objects left by visitors around the base of the tree.
The chapel was built in the 17th century after a priest found shelter from a charging bull beneath an oak tree. This event sparked its growth into a pilgrimage site that attracted visitors for centuries.
People leave locks, flowers, and handwritten notes at the oak tree's base as a way to express their hopes and thanks. These simple gestures show how visitors treat this place as a space for personal prayers and promises.
The chapel opens and closes daily with regular access for visitors. Plan for changing weather when you visit, and bring comfortable shoes for walking on uneven stone floors inside.
Inside the chapel hang old crutches and war medals from before 1900, left by people who believed they had been healed. These worn objects tell silent stories of visitors' hopes and their reasons for coming to pray.
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