The Malouinière of the “Ville Bague”

As an integral part of the history of Saint Malo, the malouinières are unique. By visiting an authentic house of pirates Saint Malo and shipowners of the eighteenth century, built in order to escape the city for a rest, you will discover the  malouinière of the Ville Bague with its many beautiful and unique collections, furniture period, its fleet with the French garden,  her vault Sainte Sophie and her astonishing pigeon square.

In 1715, the Ville Bague was built by William Eon, Eon’s nephew Julian. Eon family, wealthy merchants of Saint-Malo, had opened many outlets abroad and especially in Cadiz.

A more modest mansion stood at the site of the present malouinière. The dovecote, the chapel and the walls are past (late seventeenth century). Property successive families Eon (in 1670), Mago lords Chipaudiere (in 1676), Eon (1776). In 1768, Julie Marie Eon Old Chastel wife of Jonathan Penfentenyo, Marquis of Cheffontaines. The Marquis de Cheffontaines becomes the owner of the Ville Bague  in 1789. With the Revolution, the house was abandoned by his owners emigrated. The ramp original, cast in 1794, was replaced in 1980 by that of a malouinière demolition of Madeleine district in Saint-Malo. After the revolution, the property passed to the family Esnoul The Seneschal who occupies from 1892 to 1946. In 1975, Jacques Chauveau and his wife Madeleine purchased property in twenty years and undertake a lengthy restoration of the park and Malouinière. Without subsidies, but through the Malraux Act, the Ville Bague finds its splendor thanks to the work of Jean-François Chauvel, head gardener since 1980 and is open to visitors coming from around the world admire this jewel of architecture malouine .

The large living room wallpaper in 1820 (Dufour factory and Leroy) and represents the arrival of Pizarro the Incas. He was placed in the halls of the City Ring of demand Hiacynthe Penfentenio, Marquis de Cheffontaines and his wife Julie-Marie-Rose Eon on their return from exile. Exceptional example in its entirety, this pan is a historical monument. He was deposed and sold in 1972 and found for sale on the art market in 1976. Badly damaged, it was restored by the Beaux-Arts in Paris who, by chance, had one other intact example at the Museum of Decorative Arts.

The Chapel of St. Sophia

Built in 1690 by Julien Eon, Lord of the Ville Bague, and consecrated by the Bishop of Dol in 1695, the Sainte-Sophie date of the old manor house that stood in place of the current malouinière. Is said to be semi-enclosed because it is partly outside the property. It has two inputs, one for the Eon family and one for the villagers of Saint Coulomb.

This chapel was used as a refresher potatoes in the 1960s and was in disrepair at the edge of the demolition. The roof was restored by the workers of France buildings that have retained the old ceiling shaped inverted ship’s hull. The altarpiece is from the Chapel of Our Lady of Loretto at Saint-Servan. The Carrara marble paving dates from the eighteenth century.

The dovecote

Built late seventeenth century, it was still a orangery because Juilen Eon was not knighted. However, the loft is the main privilege of the nobility, status symbol. In 1715, Guillaume Eon did raise this orangery which becomes a loft with three hundred and twenty bearers, which corresponded to one hundred and sixty acres, the legislation is very strict (two pigeons per hectare).

Jacques Chauveau
Biography

Jacques Chauveau was a businessman and passionate French naval born August 27, 1925 in Caen, and died June 28, 2003 in St. Petersburg.

In 1944, at 18, he enlisted in the 2nd Armored Division of General Leclerc, where he performs the German campaign. Back from Berchtesgaden, he studied law in England and began working life in the field of industry and advanced technology such as computers and the metallurgy of special (especially steel and systems ball bearing).

Its activity has little to do with the maritime domain. However, he soon devoted his free time and income to his passion: the sea

This passion grows up to his house: In 1975, Jacques Chauveau and his wife Madeleine buy the Malouinière La Ville Bague, a real “second home” owners of the eighteenth century sought to escape the stuffy world of St. Malo while still close to care for their ships. The couple in twenty years a lengthy restoration of the park and Malouinière. Without subsidies, but thanks to the Malraux Law, the Malouinière regains its splendor. Jewel of architecture Malo, this residence is a small museum of marine, as was his apartment in Paris or his office.

Jacques Chauveau was also a great racer. Among his boats, was authorized a beautiful 6M JI called “Vert-Galant” it was common to come across to Cowes, the Regatta and other places of great sailing.

AMERAMI

AMERAMI is an association created in 1975 by Luc-Marie Bayle, naval officer and director at the time of the National Maritime Museum. She was recognized as a charity by a decree of June 26, 1981. His presidency was assured until 1982 by Aymar Achille-Fould, then by Jacques Chauveau until 2000.

The association is a pioneer in the field of French maritime heritage preservation. Its purpose is to look for old boats with a genuine interest in terms of their construction or their use and to restore and enhance them by finding a particular place of welcome, or even give them to the water to navigate them again. Already at its inception in 1975, she was aware that the old boats were becoming increasingly rare and very quickly began searching for ships representative of many epochs and functions in order to preserve them.

With the advent to the presidency of Jacques Chauveau is the whole spirit of the collector who became the line of AMERAMI and we could then see a museum evolve size but also many demonstrations at sea . The most remarkable fact of the presidency of Jacques Chauveau is undoubtedly the installation of the submarine ‘Argonaute (S636) “, the City of Science and Industry of La Villette. In 1989 he made his last trip up the Canal de l’Ourcq to be placed in a pit specially designed for this purpose next to the Geode and is currently experiencing the success we know.

The Marité

The Marité is a French barque built in 1923. It is now the last Newfoundland’s boat existing wood. These boats were used for cod fishing in the seas of Newfoundland. The Marité is 47 meters long, carries 650 square meters of sails and moves 450 tons for a draft of 4.20 meters.

Jacques Chauveau will unfortunately not had the pleasure to see the success of its highly committed to the return of Marité in France. His friend Gerard d’Aboville and himself had indeed worked with great patience and diplomacy to create a public interest group that can buy this boat, the last witness of the great moments from the sea

It is indeed Jacques Chauveau, as part of his research, learns early in the year 1999 that the Marité is for sale. Abandoned at a port of the Faroe Islands since 1973 and pledged to the destruction, it was later restored to its original 1978 to 1987 by five young Swedes who used the boat cruise on the occasion. Approaching Gerard d’Aboville, president of the Heritage Foundation Maritime and River (which he was also Vice President), Jacques Chauveau embarks with him a long process of negotiations.

Four years later, just months after his death, a public interest group is created that includes the cities of Rouen and Fécamp and several General Councils Norman. This G.I.P. also gets support from the Regional Council of Haute-Normandie.

The group of young Swedes who restored the Marité was, fortunately, well aware that her place was in France. Thus, while several world’s wealthiest are interested in this sale, the five young people have enough time to prepare for the French. The Heritage Foundation Maritime and River had too campaigned for his return to let this golden opportunity to put the last Newfoundland’s boat under the French flag. The Marité finally bought in June 2004 and taken to Rouen port.

The World Ship Trust

Jacques Chauveau is not limited to French maritime heritage. Its actions have earned him quickly indeed an international reputation in the maritime field. And he also participates in the preservation and protection of maritime heritage in the global World Ship Trust, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in which he represented France.

The World Ship Trust has awarded the trophy to the association for the presentation of AMERAMI Argonaute submarine to the City of Science and Industry. Christian Poncelet, President of the Senate, presented the December 16, 1998 to Jacques Chauveau as president of the association, in the salons of the Presidency of the Senate, in the presence of Sir Michael Jay, ambassador of Great Britain, Admiral Jean-Charles Lefebvre, Chief of Staff of the Navy, representatives of the Office of the World Ship Trust as well as many civilian and military, British, Portuguese and French.

Jacques Chauveau became President of the World Ship Trust. There is a particularly active promoting global maritime heritage. It was during one of these activities he died June 28, 2003, just hours after handing the International Maritime heritage award to a russian foundation for the preservation of cruiser Aurora in St. Petersburg.

But Jacques Chauveau had already passed his hand saying:” I do not want to freeze, becoming, according to the law of nature, an authoritarian, stubborn and cantankerous, a prey to obsessive desire to in order the affairs of others. ”

Now is the maritime community that led to Earth, July 7, 2003, the sailor, to take over. In memory of all he was able to undertake …