It could have served as a backdrop for a scene from Game of Thrones , as the atmosphere at the foot of this tree is atypical. Since Wednesday, the multi-century beech from Saint-Jammes de Bezaucelle, in Sorèze in the Tarn, has held the title of tree of the year, awarded by the public.
Perched on a wooded hill in the black mountain, leaning against the ruins of a pre-Romanesque chapel, it was enough to complete the legend of the 450-year-old fagus sylvatica .
"It is its history that has won over the general public"
It must be said that many rites and legends surround this mastodon which rises to 20 meters high. At all times, pregnant women have taken the habit of coming to rub their belly to bring luck to future newborns. Couples also came to hug there to be sure they could give birth.
For Laetitia Souloumiac, who has dug into the past to learn more about beech, more than the beauty of this tree, "it is its history that has won over the general public".
The adventure does not stop there. With his title in his pocket, the tree of the year is automatically entered in the European tree competition of the year for which votes will open on February 1. What continue to cultivate the legend and attract the curious.
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