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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  4. Charente-Maritime
  5. 17300 Rochefort

  6. Hotel de la Marine

Hotel de la Marine à Rochefort en Charente-Maritime

Charente-Maritime

Hotel de la Marine

    2 Rue Toufaire
    17300 Rochefort
Hôtel de la Marine
Hôtel de la Marine
Crédit photo : yoyo - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
1666
Creation of the Rochefort arsenal
1670
Start of re-building
1781
Change of function
1800
Marine prefecture installed
1808
First visit of Napoleon
2002
Transfer to the municipality
2004
New assignment
2015
Registration for Historic Monuments
2023
Final classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The house body with its two wings in full return, the monumental gate with its gate and the two wrought iron grills of the eighteenth century overlooking the old gardens, with their masonry structure, of the Hotel de la Marine, located 2 rue Tooufaire, on plots n° 185, 186 and 188, appearing in the cadastre section BI, including the ground of the built and unbuilt parts of these plots, as delimited in pink and red on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by decree of 22 June 2023

Key figures

François Blondel - King's architect Designs city and rope
Comte d'Artois - Brother of Louis XVI Stayed in 1777 as sponsor
Joseph II de Lorraine-Habsbourg - Emperor of Austria Visit incognito in 1777
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette - American General and Hero Stay in 1780 before departure
Napoléon Bonaparte - Emperor of the French Visits in 1808 and 1815
Amiral Maurice Dupont - Prefect Maritime (1962) Saved the royal rope

Origin and history

The Hôtel de la Marine de Rochefort, built in the 17th century, was originally the castle of the lords of Rochefort, located on a fortified rocky hill. This strategic site, overlooking the Charente, evolved to become the House of the King in 1670, then the seat of the intendants of the Navy until 1781. Its current name reflects its central role in the royal and then imperial maritime administration until the 19th century.

Rebuilt from 1670 onwards, the building successively houses the naval commanders (from 1781), the maritime prefecture (1800-1927), then civil services until 2002. Since 2004, it has hosted the command of the schools of the National Gendarmerie. Its architecture, marked by symmetrical wings and a monumental 18th century portal, illustrates its historical importance in the Rochefort arsenal.

Ranked a historic monument in 2023 (after an inscription in 2015), the Hôtel de la Marine retains remarkable elements such as the Galerie de Bégon (1701), the woodwork Louis XV, and Napoleon's room, a witness to imperial stays. The wrought iron grids (including a date of 1773) and the public garden, former Park of the Intendant, complete this heritage complex.

His illustrious guests include the Count of Artois (1777), Emperor Joseph II (1777), Napoleon (1808 and 1815), and La Fayette (1780), who came for missions related to the arsenal or the navy. The architect François Blondel, designer of the city and the royal corderie, is also associated. These visits highlight Rochefort's geopolitical role as a major military port.

Property of the municipality since 2002, the building combines old parts (XVII-XVIIIth centuries) with renovations of 1895-1897, which gave it a classical monumentality. Its U-shaped plan, open to the city, and its facades with bosses and balustrades reflect its status as a symbol of power, whether seigneurial, royal, or state.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum