Jacques Cartier, exceptional navigator and explorer is an emblematic figure of Brittany, and more precisely of Saint-Malo, since it is here that he was born.
The Amerindians, his faithful allies
Born in St-Malo on September 23, 1491, Jacques Quartier is the symbol of the city. Under the orders of François 1er, the Saint-Malo navigator had the mission of exploring and finding new lands. During one of his voyages—the most important of them all—he discovered Canada by going up the St. Lawrence River. The latter and his crew landed in Gaspé, Stadaconé and Hochelaga, the last two names mentioned corresponding to the current cities of Quebec and Montreal. Winters in Canada are harsh and many of Jacques Cartier’s men succumbed to the cold. The Malouin clung to life thanks to the help of the Amerindians, his faithful allies. Wanting to find a route to Asia, Jacques Cartier was never able to realize his first design.
He ended his days in Brittany
Indeed, between 1534 and 1536, the latter spent his time traveling the vast expanse of North America in search of wealth. Each expedition was perilous and the difficult conditions caused the death of its respective crews. He visited Canada one last time in 1541 at the request of the king, who wanted a colony to be established there. In Cap-Rouge, where the very first French forts were built, Jacques Cartier confused quartz and pyrite for diamonds. Two years later, disappointed not to have found wealth and overwhelmed by the recurrent death of his men in this snowy and hostile land, Jacques Cartier left Canada for good to end his days in the capital of Brittany, his one and only city. .
MANOR OF LIMOËLOU
In 1541, before his last trip to Canada, the explorator acquired a small 15th century farm. After his third voyage, he enlarged the small 15th century farmhouse into a magnificent rural manor. This addition has a third level and is flanked by a tower giving scale to the building. Thus, the Manoir de Limoëlou is often described as the ancestor of the malouinières. After his travels, Jacques Cartier lived alternately in his residence rue de Buhen (rue Châteaubriand) in Saint-Malo intramural and in his Manoir de Limoëlou in Rothéneuf. The first residence having disappeared, the manor is the only legacy of Jacques Cartier. From the 17th century, the manor became a farm and remained so until 1978.
A unique and moving witness not to be missed
After Jacques Cartier, the Manoir de Limoëlou remained a farm until 1978. While the last owner of the manor was preparing to modernize the interior and risked altering the original plan of this historic residence, Mr. David Macdonald Stewart, president of the Stewart Foundation, great collector and history buff, bought the Manor of Limoëlou in the name of the Society of Friends of Jacques Cartier. He decides to restore it, then the enhancement work begins immediately. Entrusted to the architect of the Buildings of France of Ille-et-Vilaine, this restoration program continues over a period of 6 years. Today, the Manoir de Limoëlou is the sole legacy of Jacques Cartier. Restored and furnished to evoke the daily life and travels of its illustrious owner, this manor, ancestor of the Malouinières, is a unique and moving witness not to be missed. http://www.musee-jacques-cartier.fr
