We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Fondation du Patrimoine, the Loto du Patrimoine, and Stéphane Bern’s television program for helping us put a proper new roof over Château Cramirat.
Restoring our 12th-century château back to its former glory has been a long time coming. While its walls were being fortified, the building stood virtually roofless for several years, protected only by a tarpaulin against rain and wind. To secure the château’s long-term preservation, we were honored to join forces with the Fondation du Patrimoine, the Loto du Patrimoine, and Stéphane Bern’s show who championed the complex process of authentically preserving the ancient roof.
The geometry of the roof is that of a ship’s hull turned upside down. For 800 years, it has “sailed” the skies on massive oak beams installed centuries ago using shipbuilding practices that were brought inland by mariners. Now, due to structural concerns, the entire roof frame had to be taken apart, the beams were transported to be cared for by the master carpenters Ateliers Ferignac, then brought back and reassembled the old-fashioned way, using chisel and mallet to pin each piece back in place with giant wooden pegs.
In this UNESCO World Heritage Site, our work revives a thousand-year-old legacy of transformation, preserving the past while reinventing the future for a thousand years to come.
Our futuristic journey involves high-profile visionaries that focus on creating global impact, breathing new life into a long legacy of leadership in this location.
