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Ille-et-Vilaine: Chateaubriand’s tomb threatened by erosion
François-René de Chateaubriand rests off the coast of Saint-Malo, on the island of Grand-Bé. Only erosion threatens his burial. The town hall requested a geological diagnosis. – (France 2)
François-René de Chateaubriand rests off the coast of Saint-Malo, on the island of Grand-Bé. Only erosion threatens his burial. The town hall requested a geological diagnosis.
Off the coast of Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), on the uninhabited island of Grand-Bé, François-René de Chateaubriand thought he would rest forever. However, on Thursday, November 23, the sea jeopardized the future of his tomb, located on the side of a rock. One of the pillars surrounding it threatens to collapse due to erosion. For the moment, there is no question of moving the tomb. The town hall requested a geological diagnosis.
Alone facing the ocean
“We will decide what is the best decision so that the tomb of our illustrious Malouin is obviously preserved”, assures Isabelle Dupuy, the deputy in charge of culture at Saint-Malo town hall. In Saint-Malo, the tomb of Chateaubriand is a tourist hotspot. Regular visits are organized for lovers of literature. For a guide, Alexandra Durand, erosion constitutes a real threat to this local heritage. The writer, precursor of romanticism, wanted to be buried alone facing the ocean, in his native country.