Locals in the French village of Allouville-Bellefosse swear that William the Conqueror prayed at the base of this legendary tree before heading out on his famous conquest. While the tree isn’t quite that old, it’s no spring chicken. At 800 years, it’s France’s oldest known tree. It almost met a grim fate when lightning struck it in the 17th century, gutting its trunk. Not wanting to let a little lightning ruin a perfectly good tree, two monks began sprucing up the hollowed interior. Before long, they’d built a full shrine to the Virgin Mary, complete with a small chapel. The tree became known as Le Chene Chapelle, the Chapel Oak. Later additions include a second chapel and an external staircase.
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