The Temple Of Reason...!

Imagine an ancient, hollowed out oak tree with a temple built inside. Wild, huh?

That's the story from Listverse about the Chapel Oak in France . Pretty amazing place, judging from the pictures.

Chene Chapelle

Photo credit: Ancient Origins

Elsewhere in France, there is an ancient church which eschews the use of stone at all. Chene chapelle (“Chapel Oak”) is located in Allouville-Bellefosse in northern France. The whole church is built inside an enormous oak tree.

A spiral staircase surrounds the tree and leads to two separate tiny chapels. Although trees have been used for worship in many places, this tree’s holy use came about in a unique way.

The oak tree is at least 800 years old. According to local legend, however, the tree is as old as the kingdom of France itself and William the Conqueror prayed under its branches before he left for England. In the 17th century, the tree began to be used as a chapel after lightning hit it.

The lightning ignited the wood inside the tree, burning it away. This left a hollow but still-living tree. Taking this as a divine sign, the local abbot and priest had the shell of the tree converted into a chapel.

When atheist revolutionaries threatened to burn down the tree, locals rescued it by renaming it a “temple of reason” to fit with the beliefs of the French Revolution.

Pretty unique church building, I'd say. Wouldn't you?

Coffee inside the kitchen this morning.I'm baking me some birthday cookies, so it smells good!