An enclosure, an arena, a cross on a tree… In the heart of the forest, between Vélizy-Villacoublay (Yvelines) and Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine), a curious construction calls out to walkers.
Some are not there by accident.
"I saw on the Internet that there was a rather special place here, so I decided to go on an adventure to see what it was about", smiles Jacques, a resident of Vélizy.
On site, a place several tens of meters long and wide delimited by ramparts made of logs and branches.
Inside, the floor is swept and an oak tree stands with a white Christian cross encrusted in its bark.
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“In recent days, we've seen it happening on social networks, but none of our faithful talk to us about it,” admits Magalie, from the parish of Vélizy.
The site, of which "Le Courrier des Yvelines" recently echoed, has been in existence for several years but still intrigues a certain number of curious people.
The site is even referenced on Google as "La Chapelle à ciel ouvert".
Not a place of worship according to the Church
“I'm still quite disappointed, admits Jacques.
I thought it was going to be more impressive, with wooden cabins for example, but it's still a good walk.
For Sylvie, a retiree from Vélizy, it looks like an “enclosure for horses”.
As for Adrien, dog walker, he qualifies it as a space of “contemplation”.
A mysterious construction has emerged between the forest of Vélizy-Villacoublay (Yvelines) and Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine).
It is called the open-air chapel.
Zahra Shower
“Other crosses have been stolen,” says Sylvie, who comes here regularly.
There were three more, they all disappeared.
"The church of Saint Jean-Baptiste in Vélizy-Villacoublay, on the other hand, is formal:" It is certainly not a place of devotion ".
But, she confesses, probably the result of "someone who is not well in his head."
But who is it ? One thing is certain, the place is maintained. Among the walkers met this Thursday morning, some have already seen the instigator of the place. “He's a very old, small man,” Sylvie describes. It often comes to improve its walls of vegetation. "" I saw him quite regularly, he is rather taciturn and not very talkative, remembers Bertrand, who leads Nordic walks in the area. Once he even gave me some pictures of Orthodox icons. "
