Domaine de Rochevilaine, "key" location of the old route of pewter, is a place where the Phoenicians are said to have bought and transported the necessary pewter to copper smelters producing bronze, which was the universal material back then
Domaine de Rochevilaine, "key" location of the old route of pewter, is a place where the Phoenicians are said to have bought and transported the necessary pewter to copper smelters producing bronze, which was the universal material back then. They probably were its first hosts.
Many years later, in the 13th century, Jean the 1st Duke of Brittany founded the abbey of Prayers in Pen Lan. It was offered to the Cistercian monks so they could pray night and day for their founder and... for the sailors' souls that would wreck on that dangerous coast, hence its name of Prayers. Rochevilaine still has a lookout post from that time, which is part of the abbey property, it is contiguous to a circular turret used to stock powders (wine today!).
In the 19th century, Pen Lan will have a very active economic life. It is the peak of the "white gold" salt marshes, whose production was once implemented by the abbey of Prayers' monks. Furthermore, the coastal fishing fleet stimulates the little port.
Even more recently, different blocks from the "Atlantic wall" were set up in this strategic location - cannon platforms, underground shelters... Rochevilaine remembers those fortifications as there are so many underground.
After the 2nd world conflict, only a memory represented by abandoned walls was left.
Henri Dresch, engineer and industrialist, buys the place in 1952. He started clearing, cleaning the place and "fixing up" the Viscount's house, an old 19th century resort villa that the war reduced to ruins, to open a hostel in 1956 that will be featured in the Michelin Guide from 1958. Thus, step by step, an unusual kind of hotel emerged.
Two manors in the inland were transported stone by stone - one from the 15th century, the other one from the 16th... Then a monumental 13th century porch was added. Henri Dresch will leave an amazing architectural complex.
A few difficult years will pass before Jean-Pierre Liégeois, a doctor, who was sensitive to the place's energies, happily starts building a real full-granite castle - named Aqua Phénicia - and flooded with light through an inner canopy.
In 1997, after getting a solid reputation of hôtelier restaurateur and developing a very important hotel group in France and Europe, Bertrand Jaquet, with his wealth of experience, runs the Rochevilaine ship and paradoxically becomes its first hotel owner.
Wise, innovating, man of action and passion, Bertrand Jaquet is in line with the founder, Henri Dresch. His choices are always driven by posterity's sake. His daughter Cécile Nouail Jaquet and his son-in-law Maxime Nouail have been working with him for several years.
As a pioneer, Bertrand Jaquet builds the first French Spa in the Rochevilaine Domain in 1997. The notion of "sea spa" was born!
In 2004, this Breton hotel jewel successfully returns to the prestigious international organization Relais & Châteaux. It must be noted that he is one of their oldest members in the whole Birttany region, since he appeared in the Relais de Campagne guide from 1961, which was the former international grouping.
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