Facebook account : https://www.facebook.com/chateauchamprenault
E-mail adress : kavelius@free.fr
Phone number : +33 6 78 64 65 06
Have you ever dreamed of sleeping in a 13th century mansion? The Castle of Champrenault might be the place you are looking for. Behind it, we find his owner : Olivier. He lives in Champrenault in Burgundy (France). He offers guest rooms in his manor. In life, his passions are history and Western traditions. And we had the pleasure of speaking with him.
OJL : Good morning Olivier.
Olivier : Good morning.
OJL : So we are going to try to see what is your personality first. Then we will talk about your works. What is your favourite colour(s) ?
Olivier : Yellow and blue.
OJL : What is your favourite number(s) ?
Olivier : The 1, the 10 and the 3.
OJL : Who is the animal(s) that you like ?
Olivier : All of them! Except the mosquito (laughs).
OJL : What is your favourite sport(s) ?
Olivier : Horse riding, sailing, and historical fencing.
OJL : What brand(s) do you like ?
Olivier : None in particular. I’m not a model consumer (smile).
OJL : Which quote(s) or sentence(s) do you appreciate ?
Olivier : “Combining business with pleasure”. That is our family motto.
OJL : Lastly, which super-hero(s) or even super-villain(s), do you admire ?
Olivier : The Spartans (big smile).
OJL : Let’s talk a bit about you now. What can you tell us about yourself ?
Olivier : I think you could say that I am a nonconformist, an aesthete and a hedonist. But also a lover of freedom. And curious about everything that corresponds to my values and interests. I think I have a mission as a guardian of tradition… As a transmitter of memory… Like an isolated island in the middle of storms, to welcome the outcasts (according to Ernst Junger)…
OJL : Who are the professionals who made you ? Those who struck you ? In a few names and in a few words.
Olivier : All men of conviction. Simple and honest people. But above all : incorruptible. For example: Vercingetorix, Leonidas, Saint Louis, Philip the Good, Louis Fouché etc…
OJL : Let’s talk now about your activities. What do you offer ?
Olivier : For 26 years, I have been restoring a 13th century fortified house with my modest means. I use as much as possible the techniques and materials used by the old builders. The decoration is inspired by the fashions of different eras. Each room has its own particular style, guided by the existing historical elements. With the help of my wife, we recreate an authentic, serene, healthy place. We have thus installed different systems preserving our mother nature: dry toilets, phyto-purification, solar panels, geothermal heating.
OJL : How could you describe the style of your guest rooms ?
Olivier : Historical and traditional. Even ancestral!
OJL : Which techniques did you used to renovate it ?
Olivier : There are several… For example: masonry with air or hydraulic lime, artisanal woodworking, insulation with hemp, wool, « a fresco » badgeon with natural pigments (coloring earths, oxide), « a tempera » paintings (with egg) etc…
OJL : Can the castle be privatized ?
Olivier : A rental of the site (during the summer season) is possible for an “À la carte” event. We are currently studying the possibility of organizing medieval banquets and activities around the period 1200-1500.
OJL : Is it possible to subscribe to your newsletter ? Because the social networks are a bit… saturated.
Olivier : Only our Facebook page is currently operational. Our website is under construction.
OJL : Do you have an anecdote about your castle ?
Olivier : We had guests who didn’t understand the concept of our castle… They were too connected to digital technology and too used to modern comfort… Unfortunately, they only stayed one night… Indeed, the silence, the candlelight and the lack of wifi… destabilized them a little…
OJL : Last question. You surely have some friends who are making wonders ! If you would like to promote them, this is your time !
Olivier : Yes indeed. One of our friends makes some very beautiful photos: Odile Boyé-Carré. She takes photographs of boats and architectural heritage : http://www.boye-carre.com/
OJL : Congratulations for everything you do. May Our Lady protects you.
Olivier : Thank you.
Aquila
