Madonna of the trees

In the middle of France’s Poitou-Charentes region lies Mouterre-sur-Blourde, a quiet, rural hamlet with a mystery hiding in its woods: a Madonna with an unknown past.

For over a century, she has sat between the trees, waiting within a secluded shrine for someone to find her.

Where is she from?

“We’ve heard conflicting stories...” local resident Cilla West tells me. “We know it’s dated 1897.” [More]