Chene potale St Brieux

Located at a crossroads between rue Roanne-Coo and a country road in a place called "Les Brieux" , this oak chapel does not immediately catch the eye, but its peculiarity is immediately apparent: its trunk splits in two before rejoining at the top connects!

In this small window, a small statue of the Virgin Mary takes its name: 'Potale' is a Belgian term for a niche in which a statue of the Virgin Mary or a patron saint is placed . This type of edicle is common to protect a crossbreed , but the fact that this role is fulfilled by a tree is unique in Belgium.

The origin of this form is difficult to trace. The bark appears to be an integral part of the 'niche', as if the tree had formed in its youth. The whole suggests that the two axes that form the apex have been brought together and brought into contact with one another so that they form an anastomosis that preserves a space.

There is also a bench here with a nice view over the Roannay valley (295 m altitude).

Willem Vandenameele