Discovering the artisans of the shadows

Without them the magic would not happen. Without them, Maubreuil would not be Maubreuil. They are the heart and soul of the Château and work hard every single day to make it an exceptional place to offer a unique experience. This month, we invite you to discover the artisans of the shadow. Their discretion is matched only by their savoir-faire. Perhaps, you will not come across them in the Château's corridors, but one knows every inch of it, the other - almost - every stone. They are the essential elements of the process. Hervé, a plumber and electrician, is in charge of all the maintenance of the domain, and Fabien is a stone carver and Compagnon du Devoir. Meeting with the dream makers.

Hervé was there at the beginning of the project, in 2013, when it all started. He contributed to its restoration and knows the Château de Maubreuil in its smallest details, he knows where each of the wires that run through it is... From the taps of the 14 suites of the five-star hotel to their technological devices and the Hammam, Sauna and Jacuzzi of the Spa, everything must be perfect to offer guests a moment out of time. "There is always something to do, and I learn new things every day. It's a real privilege to work in such a unique and prestigious place. We are at the edge of Nantes, and yet we work in the heart of a beautiful natural environment. It's exceptional."

Fabien also became part of the project at its very beginning, 7 years ago. The Compagnon du Devoir, who has worked at Chambord and Notre-Dame de Paris, is in charge of the renovation of the walls, which had to be completely restored. "We had the unpleasant surprise to realize that 60 to 70% of the tufa stones were damaged. We had to remove them one by one, to carve them identically before putting them back, one by one once again". During the Tour de France of the Compagnons du Devoir, about fifteen young people made a stopover at the Château de Maubreuil to assist Fabien in this ambitious task, either as apprentices or for further training. "This work site was an excellent opportunity for them to learn the art, because it is rare to have the opportunity to manage everything from A to Z with such creative freedom as it was the case with the trust the owners placed in us. It was a real human adventure, in the pure tradition of companionship. Since then, some of the young people have been certified as companions."

A quick fact: the 3D tests of some of the restored moldings were made with clay collected from the domain before being reproduced in tufa stone.