France's oldest standing tree.

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France's oldest tree. The spindly oak can be found in Allouville-Bellfosse, France, and experts estimate that it is between 800 and 1200 years old. According to local lore, the tree once suffered a lightening strike, but instead of burning completely, the blast only left the core hollow. A priest determined that the unlikely event must have been a holy miracle, and the heart of the tree has been a chapel ever since (and in later years a second one was added on top). It has stood steadfast throughout the Hundred Years War, The Black Death, Reformation, the Revolution, both World Wars, and the Napoleonic era.

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Size: 4912px × 7360px
Location: Allouville-Bellefosse, Normandy, France.
Photo credit: © David Jones / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: allouville-bellfosse, chapel, dr, france, normandy, oak, oldest, pilgrimage, seuss, tourism, tree