The Fascinating History and Sites of Rochefort France: L'Hermione, Pierre Loti and Napoleon's defeat

L'Hermione

L'Hermione is the name of a frigate built in Rochefort's new shipyards, fitted out as a battle ship. Her fame is based on the fact that General La Fayette who had fought in America before, convinced King Louis XVI to support the 'insurgents' in their fight for freedom and independence from England and to supply General Washington with troops, money and ships in his battle. After her completion, the L'Hermione set sail in 1780 under the command of La Fayette, reached Boston and 18 months later, the War of Independence was won, due in part, to the French support.

The L'Hermione saw further service, until she went down in a storm a few years later.

Rochefort is a 'new' 17th century naval town, planned and built by Colbert along the banks of the river Charente to create a Royal arsenal and enhance the French fleet. Shipyards and docks are everywhere as well as the roperie, a huge factory of all naval fittings. All of which have been gloriously restored during the past 20 years, with the reconstruction of the L'Hermione as the centerpiece. Covered by huge canvas tents, workmen, using traditional methods, rebuild the frigate and it is an unusual and very interesting experience to watch them at work.

Corderie Royale

The corderie, along the banks of the slow flowing river Charente, is a huge and wonderfully tended park where the Hermione is reconstructed and the Arsenal Martitme is situated, which consists of many different buildings, all of them naval museums which provide a unique insight into French naval traditions and history.

Wander among the gardens and visit the rope factory, the naval museum, a triumph arch which makes you think you are in Paris, an elegant town house which served as the last dwelling of Napoleon before he surrendered, a modern day vegetable garden which is planted and tended by the children of Rochefort and much more.

La Maison Loti

In the aptly name Rue Pierre Loti, I finally found La Maison Loti, the novelist's town house. The state of the building is very fragile which is why groups of only 10 people are admitted at any one time and prior booking is essential. Photography inside the house is not allowed.

The tour starts off with a conventionally furnished living room, dark carved furniture, dark red velvet on the walls and family portraits everywhere, just following the fashion of the 19th century bourgeoisie. Followed by a somewhat lighter dining room and then…you pass through a heavy velvet curtain and are bowled over, because you step into a medieval banquet hall. The ceiling roars up three stories high, the walls are covered with Flamish tapestries, an enormous carved dining table surrounded by chairs takes up the middle of the room and a carved stone staircase leads up to a gallery. All of a sudden you are in another world where Loti used to throw lavish parties for his Parisian literary friends, among them the 'divine' Sarah Bernhard who had to attend in period costume and were only allowed to converse in medieval French.

And the wonders continue. Next comes his oriental fantasy, a large room decorated as a Turkish mosque, with blue tiled walls, divans, carpets and, as the center piece, the stele and portrait of his beloved Aziyade, the Turkish woman he fell in love with and never forgot. Loti used to wear Turkish clothes and his servant had to sing out the Islam prayers whilst he knelt on the prayer rug and meditated. Further ‘meditation’ took place in the smaller adjacent opium den, where Loti found inspiration and recreation, smoking one of his many opium pipes.

In stark contrast to these lavish fantasies is his bedroom, nearly bare, white walls and a very narrow bed with his seaman’s chest, a small writing desk and his officer’s insignia as the only decorations.

The tour ends with a visit to a small but beautiful garden. Truly a sight not to be missed.

A French market

I only spent two days in Rochefort, but was lucky that one of them was a market day. A typical, provincial French market is a festival for the senses. The center of town was closed to traffic and stall after stall set up, offering the rich products of the region, from cheeses and breads, to charcuterie, fresh fruit and vegetables to the famous Bordeaux wines to melon liqueur and sweets. See the housewives haggle, hear the merchants praise their wares, taste the many products and you have a perfect day.

La Rochelle and Ile d'Aix

The more famous sea town of La Rochelle is located about an hour's train ride north of Rochefort and, if I had had more time, I would not have missed a visit. La Rochelle features the enormous Fort Boyard and is the starting point for boat trips to the Ile de Re and the Ile d'Aix all in the bay d'Oleron.

It was on the Ile d'Aix that Napoleon surrendered to Captain Maitland on the 17th of July 1815 after his attempts to flee to America had failed, thus putting an end to his reign of 100 days.

Rochefort, La Rochelle and the region of the river Charente is a part on France's Atlantic coast which is often overlooked by foreign tourists but has a natural beauty and historic importance which make it well worth a visit.

If You Go

I arrived by plane and flew into Bordeaux. There is a bus service to the train station and from there I took the TGV to Rochefort, a two hour ride. I left taking the train to Paris and flying from Orly airport. Rochefort is connected to the rest of France by frequent train service or else, you can of course drive.

I found a wonderful boutique hotel called Caravelle, located in the center of town and within walking distance of the Loti museum and the Corderie, but Rochefort is such a small town that just about anything worth visiting can easily be reached on foot. Hotel Caravelle is very French, with a lot of attention to detail, family run, comfortable, and reasonably priced too. Contact: hotelcaravellerochefort@wanadoo.fr.