Like thousands of other trees, it did not resist the onslaught of Storm Ciaran. In the Brocéliande forest, the famous Ponthus beech is no longer, split in two by the violence of the winds which shook the entire north-western quarter of France during the night from Wednesday to Thursday. Located near the Barenton fountain, in the legendary Breton forest, the tree with its sprawling branches was according to legend the guardian of the ruins of the Ponthus castle.
Listed in the register of remarkable trees of Brittany, it was around 300 years old according to some. Much less according to Philippe Manguin. “The owner of the plot on which it was located told me one day that it was barely 80 or 100 years old,” says the photographer, who had made this emblematic tree his muse. “I saw him for the first time in 2005,” he says over the phone. It was a pretty incredible meeting. It had such a presence with its branches which gave it an octopus look and this completely crazy wingspan. »
“He was a big guy who couldn’t fall”
Fallen under its spell, like many visitors to the forest, Philippe Manguin has since continued to photograph the tree. A beech which was for him a source of inspiration and a true “symbol” of the forest. “Many locals or forest lovers went to recharge their batteries with him,” he says. He was like a wise man, a confidant. » Managed by previous storms and weakened by age-related rot, the majestic tree this time did not resist the power of Ciaran. “When I learned this, it was a total shock,” confides the photographer. This tree seemed so strong, unsinkable. He was a big guy who couldn’t fall and everyone thought he was going to survive us. »
In mourning as if he had lost “a member of his family”, Philippe Manguin has not yet had the strength to say goodbye to his muse. “I might go back one day, but not right away,” he assures. And again I don’t even know because it could be even more painful than anything else. »