Chêne Sully

The forest of Fontainebleau has always named its most remarkable trees, a tradition formalised by Denecourt and continued by the ONF. The Sully takes its name from Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully — Henri IV's finance minister, who reorganised the French economy, protected the forests, and encouraged planting across the kingdom. Whether this specific tree was planted on his orders or simply adopted his name in tribute is unclear, but it has carried it for centuries. It stands in the Gorges d'Apremont, a short walk from the Caverne des Brigands, in the same massif that drew the Barbizon painters to sketch and paint on the motif.