600-year-old elm house, which was once a linden tree, was exhibited (12 photos)

In the Belgian village of Jerouville stands an ancient elm tree, ravaged by time but nevertheless a treasure trove of amazing stories. It's known as the "Jeruville Linden," although it's actually an elm. The confusion over the name arose because the tree stood for centuries in Linden Square.





It's over 600 years old. In 1258, when Jerouville was founded, four trees were planted at the four corners of the main square. Three quickly perished, but this one stood until 1876, when a storm toppled it, the trunk having by then completely destroyed the hollow.



The fallen giant was sawed into pieces. Its trunk was purchased by a senator named Lambiott. He had the hollow trunk skillfully finished inside, so that it could accommodate a bench for six or seven people.





A conical thatched roof was erected on top, after which the unusual pavilion was transported to the senator's house in Schaerbeek. The tree even managed to be an exhibit at the International Exhibition in Brussels in 1880.



In 1922, Mr. Lambiotte returned the tree to his native Gérouville. It was erected near the spot where it once grew, on Linden Square, which cemented the erroneous, but now familiar, name "Zheruville Linden."