Breathtaking view
Overlooking the waves, the citadel dominates Belle-Ile-en-Mer from its ramparts. Every year, some four hundred thousand tourists disembark at the port of Le Palais, the capital of the largest of the Breton islands. However, for four years, the tourist office has been forced to respond negatively to the many vacationers wishing to visit the citadel: it is closed to the public. On August 15, Tibault Grollemund, mayor of Le Palais, announced, on the occasion of a commemoration of those lost at sea, that the “jewel” Bellilois had found a buyer. And would remain “under the French flag”. The lucky owner is none other than the Accor hotel group. Contacted, the multinational specified that for the moment it is only a promise of sale, which should be finalized “during the fall” 2024. Amount of the transaction: 13 million euros. Paid by Accor, this sum will therefore end up in the coffers of its own subsidiary, Paris Society, the last owner of the monument.
Lot of promises
This recovery plan, which is at the very least unusual, leaves the people of Bellilois doubtful. Francis Villadier, deputy mayor of the Palais, responsible for culture and heritage, assures that “Tibault Grollemund spoke by telephone with the CEO of Accor [Sébastien Bazin]The latter has committed to holding a meeting with local stakeholders at the end of September to define the outlines of the rehabilitation project. Although nothing has yet been established, several promises have been made. Among them, guaranteeing free access to the citadel, at least to its outdoor spaces, to the people of Bellil and tourists, but also undertaking the most urgent work, including the consolidation of the surrounding walls. Accor mentions a project “First designed for the inhabitants ” Francis Villadier, like Geneviève Tinchant, a tour guide at the citadel since she was 16, nevertheless remain on their guard. “We will be the vigilant spectators of this renovation.”
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Long abandoned
It must be said that in Belle-Ile, many regret the era of the Larquetoux couple. They had bought the citadel, then buried under vegetation and eaten away by the sea air, from the administration of the Domains, in 1960. Built in the 16th centurye century and renovated by Vauban during the reign of Louis XIV, the building had been abandoned after its declassification as a military site in 1933. From the 1980s, the Larquetoux family began major rehabilitation work. Geneviève Tinchant remembers with emotion a “exciting times”. Casemates, powder magazine, arsenal… all the elements of the building were restored. The place became a museum but also an artists’ residence and hosted festivities. When André Larquetoux died in 2004, his wife, Anna, decided to put the citadel up for sale. It was acquired by Philippe Savry, president of the company Les Hôtels particuliers. He kept the museum and began the process of converting the citadel into a hotel.
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