Chêne à Guillotin – Chêne d’Eon
You will find Le Chêne à Guillotin along the D141, between the picturesque villages of Concoret and Tréhorenteuc, in the heart of the Forêt de Brocéliande.
Also known as the Chêne d’Eon, this magnificent pedonculate oak (Quercus Robur) is 20 metres high and has an impressive circumference of 9.65 metres. It is a living relic that has witnessed nearly 900 years of history!
It was indeed born in 1144, at the dawn of the Second Crusade, during the reign of Louis VII, first husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
The folds, twists, and knots of the bark of this thousand-year-old oak have sculpted the face of an old man, an enigmatic presence that reveals itself to those who know how to see it.
Once in the heart of the Brocéliande forest, the magnificent Chêne à Guillotin now stands alone at the edge of a vast meadow.
Despite the weight of years which bends its old branches, its remains imperturbable, protected by a wooden platform and supported by numerous props. Regular maintenance and attentive care will see this thousand-year-old tree live for many more centuries.
Eon de l’Etoile
The oak was originally named the Chêne d’Eon, after the hermit Éon de l’Étoile who lived in the heart of the Brocéliande forest.
That was nearly 900 years ago, when this venerable oak was just a sapling!
According to legend, the peaceful Éon de l’Étoile inexplicably descended into madness and became the leader of a band of outlaws.
Together, they spread terror, attacking and robbing unwary travellers who ventured into the dense forests of Brocéliande.
However, Éon, the fallen hermit-turned-outlaw, was soon apprehended and spent his days in a squalid prison in the distant city of Reims, in Burgundy.
Pierre-Paul Guillotin
The tree was renamed Le Chêne à Guillotin after the French Revolution, although it has no connection with the infamous inventor of the guillotine. It owes its name to Pierre-Paul Guillotin, priest of the neighbouring town of Concoret, who urged his parishioners to resist the revolutionaries.
As the revolution gained momentum, the priest found himself hunted by the very people he had been fighting against. Fleeing deep into the forest, he found refuge in the hollow trunk of a tree, whose entrance was concealed by a spider’s web, an unexpected sanctuary that saved him from certain death.
The oak tree, which was already over 600 years old at the time, indeed offered refuge to the fleeing priest. Although the cavity remains, its entrance has naturally narrowed over time. According to local legend, the miraculous protection granted to Pierre-Paul Guillotin is attributed to Our Lady of Paimpont, who supposedly transformed herself into a spider to protect him.
These stories only reinforce the mystical charm of the Brocéliande forest. Those in search of magic are invited to pause for a moment to pay homage to the venerable tree and meditate on the moving text by Marc Beredjem, displayed on the nearby information panel.
Discover the magical Forêt de Brocéliande other sites
Tombeau de Merlin, Fontaine de Jouvence, Chêne des Hindrés, Château de Comper, Fontaine de Barenton, Jardin aux Moines, Eglise du Graal in Tréhorenteuc, Miroir aux Fées and Arbre d’Or in the Val Sans Retour, Hostié de Viviane or Tombeau des Druides, Tombeau des Géants ou Roche à la Vieille, Abbey of Paimpont, Forges de Paimpont and Pierres Droites
Department of Ille-et-Vilaine
Directions: From Concoret, follow the D141, you will find a small car park to the left of the road a couple of 100m after the place called Le Terte (it’s signed).
Coordinates: Lat 48.056190 – Long -2.226577
