Photo : ESC200 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Chêne d'Allouville-Bellefosse
The Allouville-Bellefosse oak stands near the village church, in Seine-Maritime, in the Pays de Caux. It is said to be the oldest known oak in France and one of the oldest in Europe. Legend dates it to 911, the year Normandy was founded, while scientists give it at least twelve centuries, which takes it back to the ninth century. It is about 18 metres tall with a circumference of 15 to 16 metres.
In 1696, Abbé du Détroit, the village priest, placed an image of the Virgin in the hollow trunk and dedicated the tree to Our Lady of Peace. Two small chapels were then built in the cavity. The tree has been a listed picturesque monument since 1932, received the Remarkable Tree of France label in 2001 and has been on the inventory of intangible cultural heritage since 2009. It draws many visitors every year.
