Initial construction 1740 (≈ 1740)
Built for the king's engineers.
1762
Donation to the Countess of Amblimont
Donation to the Countess of Amblimont 1762 (≈ 1762)
Gift of Louis XV to an aristocrat.
1789
Return to the Post-Revolution Navy
Return to the Post-Revolution Navy 1789 (≈ 1789)
Reassigned after the fall of the monarchy.
1881-1885
Office of Pierre Loti
Office of Pierre Loti 1881-1885 (≈ 1883)
Occupation by the marine writer.
1992
Transfer to the Marine Museum
Transfer to the Marine Museum 1992 (≈ 1992)
Transfer for unfinished museum use.
2021-2022
Official protection
Official protection 2021-2022 (≈ 2022)
Registration then partial classification.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The hotel of Amblimont situated on Parcel No. 464, AC section: inscription by order of 9 April 2021; The facades and roofs, including the fence wall with its gate giving way to the Galissonnière, of the Hotel d'Amblimont located on Parcel No. 464, appearing in the cadastre section AC, as shown on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 1 April 2022
Key figures
Louis XV - King of France
Initial sponsor and donor in 1762.
Comtesse d’Amblimont - Local aristocrat
Owner of 1762 at the Revolution.
Pierre Loti - Writer and Officer
Held an office between 1881 and 1885.
Origin and history
The hotel of Amblimont was built in 1740 in Rochefort, near the Cheusses hotel, to house the king's engineers. This building, typical of 18th century military civil architecture, reflects the strategic importance of the Port of Rochefort, then major naval centre under Louis XV. Its soberly decorated facades and U-shaped plan, with courtyard and garden, illustrate the classical style of the era.
In 1762, Louis XV offered the hotel to the Countess of Amblimont, wife of the commander of the local Navy, marking her transition from the royal domain to an aristocratic residence. After the Revolution, the building became the property of the National Navy. It served successively as barracks, and then housed administrative offices, including that of the writer Pierre Loti between 1881 and 1885, when Rochefort remained an active military port.
In the 20th century, the Amblimont Hotel was transferred in 1992 to the National Marine Museum, which had been housed in the nearby Cheusses Hotel since 1931. Unfortunately, restoration work, which has not yet been completed, has led to the loss of many original elements (roadways, woodwork, panelling). The monument was finally protected by an inscription in 2021, followed by a partial classification of its facades and roofs in 2022.
Architecturally, the hotel preserves some 18th-century remains, such as staircases, old doors or beams, despite the alterations. Its gate on the Place de la Galissonnière and its closed wall, classified, testify to its past prestige. Today, it embodies both Rochefort's naval legacy and the challenges of preserving heritage in the face of modern transformations.
