Download The Maison de la Région Poitou-Charentes

The Maison de la Région Poitou-Charentes
from its origins to the present day
The buildings today comprising the Maison de la Région cover an area stretching
in the most central part of Poitiers and in the highest point of the city’s
promontory: the “plateau”, hemmed in between the Boivre and the Clain rivers.
The city’s history can be traced from Antiquity through the numerous buildings
that mark Poitiers’ occupation; these buildings include the church, Notre-Dame la
Grande and the dukes’ palace. The Jacobin convent was also established here
in the Middle Ages. After undergoing many changes, the building was taken over
for education purposes in 1842, became Saint-Stanislas school in 1905 until
1980 and finally home to the Maison de la Région.
1
The current site of the Maison de la Région in Poitiers (buildings in green and pink)
within the former Jacobin perimeter
3
2
4
5
1
Building constructed between
1714 and 1716 (ESCEM).
College chapel
built in 1886
(Maison de la Région,
Quebec building).
Estimated perimeter of the
Jacobean compound f rom the
Mediev al period.
Maison de la Région
buildings.
Site of archeological
excav ation f rom
1983 to 1998.
Jacobean church destroy ed at
the beginning of the 19th
century.
Roads forming the site perimeter
1
La rue de l'Ancienne-Com édie
formerly opening onto the Impasse des
Jacobins on the east side, w hich
disappeared in 1922.
2
La rue du Marché-Notre-Dam e:
the section betw een the current
addresses, 31 Rue du Marché-NotreDame and 15 Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie
w as called Rue des Jacobins until 1895.
3
La rue de la Cathédrale.
4
La rue Arsène Orillard,
formerly Rue des Juifs, then Rue du Gerv is-Vert.
5
The former Rue du Pont-Neuf, now Rue JeanJaurès gradually adv anced in sections into the
heart of this island betw een 1810 and 1852.
2
Origins
The first signs of occupation of the site date back to a period between the 1st and 4th centuries BC
inclusive. This area is within a perimeter dating from the Late Roman Empire (around 200-476
AD) about 200 metres from the Roman walls. Two roads run alongside it, the current Rue ArsèneOrillard having provided vital access to the ancient town.
Gallo-Roman remains
In 1886, Père de La Croix , a famous archaeologist from Poitiers,
discov ered a cistern during the construction of a chapel, later to
become the Quebec building of the Maison de la Région. In 1922
and 1929 remains w ere found beneath Rue de l'Eperon and Rue de
l'Ancienne-Comédie of w alls, pav ing, pillars, pieces of marble,
porphy ry and glass, fragments of pottery, v ases, amphoras,
engrav ings and a statuette of a w oman.
In 1983, an ancient dw elling inhabited betw een the 1st and 4th
centuries AD w as uncov ered betw een the Rue de l’AncienneComédie and the Quebec building at the site of the current entrance
court of the Maison de la Région. It w as particularly interesting for its
tw o basement rooms, used for the building’s heating sy stem (this
ty pe of room, a hy pocaust, w as especially found in Roman baths).
The building also had a priv ate shrine w ith its ow n podium or altar.
The upper part of a statue of the goddess of abundance w as also
discov ered, w hich had v ery probably been on the podium.
Discov eries w ere also made in the shrine of tw o statuettes, one of
the goddess Epona on horseback and the other of Venus emerging
from her bath. All these statuettes are in the Sainte-Croix museum in
Poitiers. The last items to be rev ealed included an oil lamp, around
six ty coins, pieces of pottery and painted fragments.
A praefurnium (pipe for
channelling fuel) discovered in
1983 in an ancient dwelling. It
was dismantled and reassembled
at the Sainte-Croix museum,
Poitiers.
In 1998 w hilst ex tension w ork w as being carried out on the Maison
de la Région (the future Galice building), a new ex cav ation
unearthed other remains: w alls w ith marble fragments, shards of
pottery and painted decorativ e items that may date from the second
half of the 2nd century. Charred remains show that a fire destroy ed
this building during the 3rd century.
Ancient statue of the goddess of
abundance, discovered during the
1983 excavations. Sainte-Croix
museum, Poitiers.
3
The Middle Ages and Renaissance: the Jacobin compound
A rich history
Between the 3rd and 11th centuries, the site was
successively occupied and abandoned. In 1025, a parish
church dedicated to Saint Christopher is mentioned in this
spot, surrounded by vineyards known as the Vicane
vineyards.
The Jacobins arrived in Poitiers in 1219. Their order
had just been created in response to the renewal and
reform of the religious orders. The mission of the
Jacobins, also called mendicants, friar preachers or
Dominicans, was to preach the gospel and to serve
the poor. Since they settled in towns and cities, they
knew the inhabitants, knew all about local life and
therefore acted as mediators with the powers in
authority.
When they arrived in Poitiers, the cathedral chapter and
the mayor, Hilaire Berland, offered them the church of
Saint-Christophe, ideally positioned in the town not far
Demolition work in 1922 and 1929 revealed this
from the ducal palace, Notre-Dame-la-Grande, the shops
13th century church doorway at no.9 Rue de
and the town’s trading centre. The convent was given the
l’Ancienne-Comédie. After being cleaned and
moved further south to no.11, the doorway was
name of Saint-Christophe and the number of friars grew
moved again during construction of the Maison de
rapidly. Thanks to financial and land donations from
la Région behind the main entrance to no.15 where
benefactors, some of whom were highly ranked such as
it may be seen today.
the queen Blanche of Castile, mother of the king St.
Louis, they were able to spread out around the church. The convent grounds or “compound”
expanded gradually to reach the perimeters defined by the current roads, l’Ancienne-Comédie,
Marché-Notre-Dame, Rue de la Cathédrale and Arsène-Orillard.
In 1231, the bishop had a larger church built for the brothers in
the compound. The old Saint-Christophe church was changed
into a chapter house and refectory on the ground floor, and
dormitory above, accessed by an outside staircase attached to
the chevet, or apse. An even larger third church was built
between 1249 and 1254. This is almost certainly where the two
remains still visible today come from, the apse and the church
doorway.
The chevet, or apse, of the 12th centur y Jacobin chur ch has
been preserved in ESCEM, the management and business school
The upper section of the apse can be seen today alongside the
staircase, made of freestone with its gable wall and three tall, narrow
openings. Below, in the current parking area, is the base of the wall,
also built in freestone
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In 1307, the Jacobins took in King Philippe le Bel,
who had come to Poitiers with pope Clement V to
try and condemn the Templars and seize their
possessions. In 1356, after the Battle of
Maupertuis, also mentioned on the facing plaque,
the bodies of the victims were buried in the
Jacobin and local Franciscan churches. In 1429,
when Joan of Arc was brought to Poitiers for
“interrogation” to find out whether she could
pursue her mission, Guillaume Seguin, a
Jacobin, was one of the interrogators. Two years
later, the reputation of the Jacobins grew even
greater when Pope Eugene IV chose their
convent as the seat of the University of Poitiers.
The meeting of King Philippe le Bel and Pope Clement V in
Five subjects were taught at the time: arts and
Poitiers is commemorated by a plaque mounted at the
crossroads of Rue Jean-Jaurès and Rue des Grandesliterature, canon law, civil law, medicine and
Ecoles in the 20th century.
theology. At its height, the university was
attended by four thousand students from the
whole of Europe. Its popularity declined after 1608 and the creation by Henry IV of the Jesuit
school, now the Collège Henri-IV.
Numerous remains have been revealed throughout the 19th and 20th centuries attributed to this
period when the Jacobins played an important role in the history of Poitiers.
Former pupils of the Saint-Stanislas school remember the discovery of the friars’ cemetery
beneath the chapel built in 1886 (now the Quebec building) as well as cloister arches, uncovered
at the back of a courtyard and in the masonry of the main staircase at ESCEM. In 1929, part of a
14th century window with traces of blue and red paintwork and the torso of a red-painted statuette
were found. Finally, the 1983 excavations unearthed a medieval well and a cellar.
The interior of the compound and church
We know about the 14th century interior of the compound and church features (chapels, statues,
relief carvings, etc.) not only through the numerous archaeological discoveries but also through
written documentation. For example, the list of knights that died during the battle of Maupertuis and
were buried in the church in 1356 mentions the cloister, a chapter house (with one window and
stalls), a dormitory, kitchens, a well and the cemetery. This list also shows the existence of chapels:
the Madeleine, the Apôtres (apostles), the Sainte Vierge (Blessed Virgin); of a large altar close to the
pool (the baptismal fonts), another altar to Saint Dominique, choir stalls, a statue of Saint Michel,
another of Christ in majesty, a crucifix and a lectern; statues of the Sainte Vierge and Saint
Dominique were found in the cloister. Other chapels and altars were built over the years: the SainteMarguerite chapel (for the tailors), Notre-Dame de Pitié, the Trinité, the Rosaire, an altar dedicated to
Saint Pierre of Verona, himself a Jacobin and canonized in 1253. An organ was mentioned in 1458,
but in very poor condition.
Finally, the Jacobins’ church contained the richly decorated tomb of the last Count of
Lusignan, Gui or Guyard. When admitting his will to probate in October 1309, the count
specified that he wished to be buried in this church in front of the great altar in a tomb
identical to the one that had been provided for his brother, Hugues in the abbey of
Valence near Couhé. In his Annales d’Aquitaine, Jean Bouchet describes this tomb as “a
rich burial place, embossed in yellow copper and richly enamelled".
5
Renaissance sculptures
One of the Renaissance relief
carvings that has since disappeared.
Sculptures dating from the Renaissance were also discovered
during the 1929 excavations. They were moved to Rue JeanJaurès to the left of the 13th century gateway. Photographs
were taken prior to 1965 and again in 1983, but the sculptures
have since disappeared. There were seven relief sculptures
each presenting a central theme (human head, lion, plants,
scroll) carved inside a diamond-shape and surrounded with
leaves, buds, shells, winged heads and hearts. Although the
iconography of these relief carvings is reminiscent of those
found at the castle of Bonnivet in Vendeuvre, they have been
much more roughly made.
The 1922 excavations also uncovered “in a wall
adjacent to the church apse” a 16th century stone
relief carving currently in the Sainte-Croix museum
in Poitiers. This relief of Christ bearing the cross is
almost certainly a fragment of a monumental rood
screen depicting scenes from the Passion and
bought by the Jacobins during the restoration of
the convent of the neighbouring friars, Cordeliers
friars. In the bottom right hand corner of the
carving is a representation of the shroud of the
Holy face held by a very small, kneeling Sainte
Véronique, whose effigy is badly damaged. The
city of Jerusalem is depicted at the top of the relief
in a line curving to the right.
Finally, sections of the compound doorway, also
from the 16th century, were still to be seen in 1846,
when they were described by Bellin de La
Liborlière in his Vieux souvenirs du Poitiers
d’avant 1789: “You can still see at the corner of the
Rue d’Orléans [now Rue Jean-Jaurès], its current
name after three or four changes, a fluted Doric
pilaster, topped with the remains of an entablature
with a frieze decorated with triglyphs: this was one
of the jambs of a great rounded door leading from The 16th century stone relief representing the Bearing of
the cross is kept at the Sainte-Croix museum in Poitiers.
the street to a courtyard on the right of which was
the entrance to the monastery in which the monks
ran a theology school affiliated to the University.
Opposite the great door and down a few steps was the church door”. This pilaster is mentioned
again in 1930 as being at the corner of the Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie and Rue Jean-Jaurès.
6
Wars of religion to the Revolution: a new convent
A weakened but wealthy institution
The first conflicts between Catholics and Protestants between 1559 and 1562 began the
sacking and destruction of the Jacobin convent. The Lusignan tomb was destroyed in 1562;
the church was seriously damaged. It does however appear to be intact in the 1619 depiction
by François Nautré of Poitiers in 1569 at the time of the siege led by Coligny.
Jacobins
Painting by Nautré (1619) representing the siege of Poitiers by the admiral of Coligny in 1569,
held in the Sainte-Croix museum in Poitiers.
This picture shows a six-bay church with a single nave and flat apse. It has a tiled roof except for the spire
which is slate-covered. The east-facing apse receives light through a huge bay; two buttresses punctuate
the northern external wall. The compound, planted with trees and containing modest buildings, is separated
from the rest of the island on the north side by a high wall and bordered on the east side by the Rue de la
Juiverie (Arsène-Orillard); to the south can be seen the curve of the Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie, above
which and a little to the west is depicted Saint-Porchaire.
If the building is positioned relative to the Cordeliers friars' church, a church whose remains have been
preserved in the shopping centre of the same name, it is possible to see that it could have stood in the
western stretch of the current Rue Jean-Jaurès. This representation may be compared with one of the views
of Poitiers by Gaignières in 1699 which shows the tiled roof, the slate spire and two buttresses, as seen
from the western side of the church.
7
Remains from the 17th century
In spite of these disruptions, the Jacobin
convent remained an important institution in
Poitiers in the 17th century, judging by the
remains from this period that have now been
taken elsewhere or have disappeared. These
remains include a painting of the Rosary, hung
in the Saint-Sacrement chapel in the SaintPierre cathedral in Poitiers, a carved door that
has now disappeared and a tombstone held in
the Sainte-Croix museum, Poitiers.
Against the background of the CounterReformation, Louis XIII reaffirmed the worship
of the Virgin Mary and introduced the worship
of the Rosary, for which the Jacobins created
numerous brotherhoods. In 1616, the king and
his wife Anne of Austria stopped in Poitiers on
their return from their marriage in Bordeaux.
The painting of the Institution du Rosaire
possibly dates from this period. As in many
painting depicting this subject, we see the king
The Jean Bardou retable, commissioned in 1671 and
and queen kneeling amongst other characters
originally in the former Jacobin church, in the Saintincluding saints, the pope, cardinals and
Sacrement chapel of Poitiers cathedral.
bishops. This painting is inset into the retable
commissioned by the Jacobins on 29th
November 1671 and created by the carpenter and sculptor, Jean Bardou. The huge retable
hangs between two classic pillars and depicts many of the saints venerated by the Jacobins:
Agnes of Montepulciano or Rose of Lima, Catherine of Siena, Pius V, Thomas of Aquin,
Hyacinthe, Antonin, Peter of Verona, Saint Sébastien and
Saint Roch.
An ancient 17th century carved wooden door was hung in
the 13th century doorway discovered during the 1929
excavations and re-built into new buildings. The upper section
was missing and rebuilt by Georges Brix, sculptor and arts
professor at the Arts College and Saint-Stanislas school.
Finally, a 1684 tombstone held in the Sainte-Croix museum
in Poitiers was uncovered in 1869 during the building
alteration works to create a teaching establishment. It bears
the following inscription translated from Latin: “These three
monuments were built for tombs on the ides [13th] of
December in the year of our Lord 1684 by R P F Jean Bacou
P G educated at this convent may he rest in peace amen”.
This photograph reveals the existence
of the carved 17th century door,
disappeared during building work from
1983-1986.
8
The final decades of the Jacobin convent
Between 1714 and 1716, possibly
because of reinforcing the religious
policy of the ruling power, new buildings
were erected in the Jacobin compound.
One of these was a huge U-shaped
building, now housing ESCEM. The
gable of the south wing bears the
completion date of 1716. The main
staircase also dates from this period,
when it was attached to the apse of the
medieval church. The bishop of Poitiers,
Monseigneur de La Poype de Vertrieu,
laid the first stone of the building on 22nd
March 1716. The architect was Fontaine,
The main staircase, built at the beginning of the 18th century
from Bordeaux; he quickly ceded his
in the building that is now ESCEM.
position to a colleague from Poitou,
Bellet, who killed himself during the
works. Inside, as can be seen in these photographs from the end of the 20th century, there
were large rooms, one of which was let to the convent by the university for its assemblies;
another was used for archives and another, called Saint Côme and Saint Damien, was the
surgeons’ common room. The symbolic star of the Jacobins may be seen in several places.
The timberwork in the north building in 1984
before work started…
The roof timbers in the ESCEM
building today.
By 1789, there were only about six or seven monks living on the site. At the beginning of the
Revolution, the convent was the seat of the Jacobin club as in Paris, but was turned into
barracks in 1791. During the Terror, it was a prison. It was in 1792 that the retable and painting
of the Rosary were taken to the cathedral. The Jacobins were chased out of Poitiers and only
returned in 1867 to the site of the current Pasteur hospital near the Saint-Cyprien bridge. In
1794, some of the rooms of their former convent were taken over to lodge the city’s seven
schoolteachers. In 1798, the buildings were bought by a property speculator who partially
destroyed them and the decision was taken in 1799 to build a new road, the future Rue JeanJaurès, through the middle of the church ruins.
9
From primary school to secondary school
It was not until 1842 that the
buildings still in existence were
acquired by the philanthropist,
Charles
Dupont,
for
the
foundation of the school, SaintVincent-de-Paul.
A few years later in 1850, the
Falloux law restored freedom to
catholic education. In 1852, the
bishop of Poitiers, Monseigneur
Pie, acquired this school and
turned it into a diocesan
establishment. In 1854, he
handed its management over to
the Jesuits who had returned
officially to France after being
chased out in 1762 (the Gesù
chapel,
currently
in
Rue
Edouard-Grimaux, was built for
the Jesuits). However, the lack
of space quickly became
evident: in 1855, a library had to
be built in a neighbouring house.
This advertisement from 1875 shows several buildings including the Jacobin
convent of 1714-1716 which has been extended from a U-shape to an Hshape, with its inner courtyard and gardens, at the corner of the Rue JeanJaurès and the Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie. A passage, the Impasse des
Jacobins, provided access to a room open to all for acts of charity.
In 1857, the Saint-Joseph school
(now in Boulevard de Lattre-deTassigny) was founded and the
Jesuit school moved in on 4th July
1860. The hospitaller nuns then
took up residence in the deserted
Jacobin premises. They left eight
years later for the former SainteCroix abbey down the Rue JeanJaurès.
On 2nd October 1869, another order, the Christian school brethren, moved in. They had arrived in
Poitiers in 1818 and taught in several places in the city, all of which they had rapidly outgrown. The
new establishment was for primary age children and had boarding facilities; the building work was
led by the architect, Jean-Baptiste Perlat. The building was turned provisionally into barracks during
the 1870-1871 war, but was then restored to its teaching function.
10
A chapel for the school of the Christian schools brethren
On 2nd August 1881,
following decrees of 29th
March 1880 forcing the
closure
of
religious
congregations, the Collège
Saint-Joseph run by the
Jesuits split up into several
small institutions. One of
these was set up at 13
Rue
de
l’AncienneComédie.
Educational
activities
were
also
The chapel constructed in 1886 and photographed in 1929
by Hélène Plessis.
continued at the school of
the Christian schools
brethren, whose premises were constantly being extended and improved. The
most major architectural change was in the construction by the architect, Alcide
Stained glass
window depicting
Boutaud, of a chapel in the south extension of the main body of the 1714 convent.
Sainte Radegonde.
Work proceeded rapidly: it started on 8th March 1886, the first stone was blessed
th
th
on 16 May and the first mass was celebrated on 19 December. The chapel was
dedicated to the Immaculate Conception as part of the Marian revival movement initiated by the
apparitions in Lourdes in 1858, and the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in
decembre 8th 1854.
Floor detail.
Stained glass
window.
Photographs taken during the 1980s enable
us to see what the outside and inside of this
chapel looked like one hundred years after its
construction and before being converted into
meeting rooms (the current Quebec building).
The entrance opens onto a gallery supported
by eight pillars. There is a single nave with
cement floor, decorated from the gallery to
the choir with a strip of coloured mosaic work.
Light is shed on the nave and choir
through eleven stained glass windows
created by the Bordeaux stained glass
artist, Dagrand. He and the architect,
Boutaud, signed their work on the two
stained glass windows closest to the
choir. Seven of these windows depict
characters connected to Poitiers or to
Christian youth education: Sainte
The chapel photographed in 1984.
Radegonde, Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint
It has since been converted into meeting
Hilaire, the Immaculate Conception, Saint
rooms (current Quebec building).
Charles Borromée, the Venerable JeanBaptiste de La Salle and Saint Louis de Gonzague. The other windows are
decorated with small floral and geometric designs.
11
The carved decoration is Neo-roman in style. The
columns and pedestals of the gallery, nave and choir are
crowned with capitals carved with stylized plants (pine
cones, grapes, palm leaves, ears of wheat, acanthus),
animals (cat, monkeys, fox or ermine and birds) and
fantastical elements (gnome and masks).
Capital decorated with a lion, now
disappeared.
In 1888 work was undertaken to create new
courtyards, a caretaker’s lodge, dormitories, an
infirmary, a linen room, an exercise room (religious)
–which later became a theatre– and a chapel for
the congregation of the Sainte Vierge. Improvement
works on the boarding facilities continued until 1892.
The theatre beneath the chapel. Postcard
Institution dedicated to Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
In 1902, the establishment celebrated its sixtieth
anniversary. The bishop, Monseigneur Pelgé, in his desire
to “promote and develop the worship principally of those
saints who offered guidelines for the education and
instruction of Christian youth”, dedicated the institution to
Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, founder of the Christian
schools brethren and who had just been canonized. A
statue of the saint stood in the centre of the inner façade of
the building, constructed from 1714-1716, beneath a clock
created by Lussault, craftsman from Marçay (Vienne),
“looking out over the whole building and the play ground”.
The statue of the saint is now held in ESCEM.
It is made of reinforced terra cotta, but is not signed.
As in the stained glass window in the chapel, the
Saint’s hand is resting on a pupil’s shoulder.
The building façade constructed at
the beginning of the 18th century,
photographed in 1982: the clock
can be seen above the statue of
the saint, both added in 1902.
The frontage today.
12
Saint-Stanislas school
Two years later, the law of 7th July 1904 prohibited religious
congregations from teaching. On 1st December of the same
year, the chapel was closed to the public; its decorations and
furniture were sold. On 1st September 1905, under the law
separating Church from State, the boarding school was closed
as well as three other establishments run by the Christian
schools’ brethren in Poitiers. They did nonetheless continue
teaching on the other side of the street at no.8, Rue de
l’Ancienne-Comédie under the name of the Saint-Stanislas
boarding school in premises acquired and quickly fitted out by
the Poitou Société immobilière (property company). The
establishment has retained its saint’s name to this day. In
1907, the establishment returned to its former premises; the
monks were replaced as teachers by priests from the diocese.
There are many postcards dating from this time that show
the buildings, courtyards and the chapel, with children
wearing caps decorated with the Dominican star or the star
of the Immaculate Conception.
The buildings underwent few changes until 1914; some statues
were added, including in particular in 1907, the statue of the
Immaculate Conception. It is almost certainly this statue that may
be seen on an upturned capital in the garden of the Maison de la
Région at the end of the passage opening onto Rue Jean-Jaurès. New ornaments were also placed in the
chapel, with for example a statue of Joan of Arc in 1909.
Gateway to the Saint-Stanislas school, 8 Rue
de l’Ancienne-Comédie, from 1905 to 1907.
Postcard photograph by Maurice Couvrat.
Saint-Stanislas school, postcard from 1905, photograph Maurice Couvrat.
Left: the chapel; right: U-shaped buildings built from 1714-1716.
13
During the Great War, the school was used as a
hospital.
In 1965 a plaque was erected close to the top of Rue Jean-Jaurès in
honour of Canon Duret, priest, philosopher, poet and teacher, who died
in German captivity in 1943. It has since been moved to ESCEM to the
left of the former entrance door to the chapel.
Between 1922 and 1929, the Société
immobilière du Poitou, as owners of the site,
undertook major extension works. It was
during this period that the main archaeological
discoveries were made. The Impasse des
Jacobins, leading to the theatre beneath the
chapel, was bought up by the city along with
the surrounding houses. A four-storey wing
was constructed in their place by the company
Ligaud, to accommodate in particular a
refectory. The former refectory became a
meeting room called the Salle Saint-Fortunat.
This building disappeared when work was
undertaken to create the Maison de la Région.
From 1939-1940, the school was once again used as a hospital.
In
1955, the establishment joined up with the Saint-Joseph school, soon being called Les
Feuillants. In 1958, the chapel was “modernised” and the statues were removed. In 1963,
prefabricated buildings were set up in the courtyards and old gardens. The remaining
courtyards were tarmacked. The following year, the theatre beneath the chapel was knocked
down for safety reasons and the main staircase of the 1714-1716 building was rebuilt. The lack
of space in the premises led to moving the establishment, planned for 1973 but took place in
1980. The Saint-Stanislas school then rejoined the diocesan ownership of Porteau, where
there already existed the college of the same name.
Today: the Maison de la Région
Having occupied its position for one
and a half centuries, the school
establishment left an urban void in its
place. The decision was quickly made
to designate it an urban development
zone (zone d’aménagement concerté).
A car park was completed in August
1983 and building work on the Maison
de la Région, initially called the Hôtel de
Région, commenced in October 1984.
The building was completed in March
1986, occupied in September and
inaugurated on 13th June 1987.
Built in Chauvigny stone, metal and
glass, the buildings are arranged around
a courtyard and garden, with the 1886
chapel occupying the central area.
The Maison de la Région as it is today. Main entrance between the
Irlande and Cornouailles buildings.
14
Antoine Grum bach, Architect
Born in 1942, Antoine Grumbach
demonstrated a keen interest in
urban architecture and the
relationships created betw een
indiv iduals through the urban
phenomenon. He bases his
restorations and constructions on the
history of the places they are built in
and retains w hat can be sav ed of
the old buildings. During the 1980s
he designed and saw through to
completion sev eral urban structural
improv ements and w as inv olv ed in
the construction of many institutional
buildings, for ex ample the
headquarters of the Poitiers regional
office of infrastructure (DDE). He is
currently professor of architecture at
the national architectural college in
Paris-Bellev ille.
The names of the buildings were chosen by staff from the
region based on a world theme and journey across the
countries of Europe: Ecosse (Scotland) is on the other side
of the Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie, then beyond Irlande
(Ireland) and Cornouailles (Cornwall) is Compostelle; Galice
(Galicia), Andalousie (Andalusia) and Castille (Castile)
enclose the area around Quebec, which was the former
chapel. Recent developments bear the name of the streets
they are on: Jean-Jaurès and Orillard. A pedestrian walkway
runs down the hill linking the Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie
and the Rue Jean-Jaurès. The Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie
is so narrow that it was not possible to create a view: a
glazed aerial walkway was built slightly behind between the
buildings of Cornouailles and Irlande; it represents a large
arch, opening sideways onto the main courtyard and directs
the eye to the central part of the site, this being the Quebec
building assembly room in the old chapel. The ground
slopes steeply away from the building to give it prominence
and dramatic presence. Further down, another passage built
where the chapel’s gallery once was, leads to an open area
and a second courtyard.
In keeping with the archaeological remains found in the main
courtyard, much use is made of the column. They follow the line of the paths and extend the effects
of perspective. Amongst the old buildings restored and enhanced by the architect, the 18th century
convent now houses ESCEM. As for the chapel, it has been divided into four horizontal levels, of
which the main floor is used as the assembly room. There are offices below and meeting rooms
above, from which emerge the upper arches of the former nave; there is also a reception room. The
last meeting room at the choir end (the Pierre-Loti room) is designed to offer a close view of the old
capitals of the bays that have also been preserved. The reception room opens onto a terrace which
is the old choir; the terrace overlooks the southern part of the city.
Next to these preserved remains, Antoine
Grumbach has designed a self-supporting
spiral staircase in the Cornouailles building;
this provides access to the glazed arch
passage. It is made from one single block of
concrete in the style of the winding stairs
seen in the medieval times.
The union of contemporary architectural
design with a desire to pay homage to the
site’s history is achieved through three major
features: the curved lines of bays and
architectural shapes, the colour of the marble
materials, the natural or finished woods and
stone and the light and transparency reflected
by the metal and glass surfaces.
View of the Maison de la Région as it is today: left, the
Irlande building and right, the doorway from the old
Jacobin church.
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Illustrations: (unless otherwise mentioned) © Région Poitou-Charentes, inventaire général du patrimoine
culturel (cultural heritage archives) / authors : G. Beauvarlet, A. Dagorn, M. Deneyer, R. Jean and C. Rome for the
photography, Zoé Lambert for the drawings.
Documentation
Archives
Archives départementales de la Vienne, 1H 18, fonds du couvent des jacobins.
Excavation records from 1983 and 1998 held at the Service régional de l'Archéologie (SRA), Direction régionale des affaires
culturelles (DRAC) de Poitou-Charentes.
Bibliography
Société des Antiquaires de l'Ouest.
Bulletins. 1868-1870, p. 287 (Renaissance fragment and engraved inscription from 1686 [sic]); 1898-1900, p. 317-318 (apse of the
nave of the old church); 1922-1924, p. 165, 167-168 (gift from Mr. Fontant of the bearing of the cross), 320: n° 4808 and 4809
(bearing of the cross and four-lobed rose window), 498-500, 504-505, 571, 576-577, 580-581 (antique remains), 630-631 (bearing
of the cross); 1928-1930, p. 363 (photo of the 13thC doorway by Joseph Salvini), 368-369 (antique remains and 13thC doorway),
429-430 (18thC church), 431 (fragment of 14thC window, antique vases), 631-636: n° 5354, 5373 and 5374 (photo of 13thC
gateway by Salvini, 14thC statuette torso, 14thC window), 628 (Renaissance scrolls), 699 (wooden 17thC door, market with Bardou
in 1671), 816-825 (retable); 1942-1945, p. 16-24 (hôtel des Jacobins); 1950-1951, p. 391 (St-Christophe cemetry inalienable);
1957-1958, p. 11-33, 83-109 (templars); 1959-1960, p. 31-71 (retable); 1969-1970, p. 525-527 (picture of Rosary); 1973-1974, p.
49, 50 (organ), 150-153 (retable); 1977, p. 9-35 (mendicant orders); 1995, p. 243-309 (antique villa).
Memoirs. 1840, p. 168, 202 (convent); 1849, p. 442-444, 511 (retable and painting of Rosary); 1883, p. 517 (n° 717, fragment of tomb from
around the Jacobin church), 526 (n° 797, fragment of entrance pilaster of convent courtyard, Rue d’Orléans), 530-531 (n° 852, 1684
inscription); 1888, p. 199 (1st stone of 1714-1716 building; 1891, p. 4, note (Easter Monday disturbance 1559); 1897, p. 224 (Hilaire Berland
donates St-Christophe); 1903, p. 258 and note 2, 276 (university); 1966 (index); 1977-1978 (index).
Poitou historic archives, 1875, p. 275-340 (on the Easter Monday disturbances 1559 in the Jacobin church).1881, p. 45 (Gui de
Lusignan’s testament, 1309).1901, p. 190-236 (university). 1920, p. 71 (Bardou creator of the 1671 retable).1928, p. 164-170 (list of
notables killed at Maupertuis and buried in the Jacobin compound).
La Semaine liturgique du diocèse de Poitiers, 1886, p. 327, 828 (chapel).
BELLIN DE LA LIBORLIÈRE, Louis François Marie. Vieux souvenirs du Poitiers d'avant 1789 : suivis de notices spéciales sur la Grand'Gueule et
l'ancienne Université de Poitiers. Poitiers Brissaud, 1983. Reprod. in fac-sim. by l'éd. de Poitiers, 1846 Available at all bookshops.
BONNET, François. “ Une page d’histoire de 1219 à 1491, le couvent des frères prêcheurs ou dominicains de Poitiers. ” Courrier
français de Vienne-Deux-Sèvres, 1st February 2002.
COGNY, Laurent. Les ordres mendiants en Haut-Poitou XIVe-XVe siècles. Mémoire de DEA de 3e cycle en histoire, Université de Poitiers, 1995.
COLLON, chanoine. Alphonse Etienne. Le pensionnat des frères des Ecoles chrétiennes à Poitiers : ses origines, son histoire.
Poitiers SFIL, 1905.
CONSEIL RÉGIONAL (Poitou-Charentes). Région Poitou-Charentes. Hôtel de la Région. Poitiers :
Conseil régional, 1987.
MINEAU, Robert. Poitiers d'avant 1914 : souvenirs d'enfance. Scènes de la vie poitevine. Juillet
1899-août 1914. New ed. rev. and supplemented. Poitiers : Brissaud, 1984. First ed. 1980.
ROHAULT DE FLEURY. Gallia dominicana, les couvents de saint Dominique en France au Moyen
Âge. Paris : 1903.
VAUDEL, Jean. Les collèges Saint-Joseph et Saint-Stanislas de Poitiers : 1607-1980. Poitiers :
Brissaud, 1981.
© Région Poitou-Charentes, l'inventaire général du patrimoine culturel / Marie-Paule Dupuy, 2009.
English translation by Jane Pepperell, for ESCEM, in February, 2011.
Site Internet : http://inventaire.poitou-charentes.fr/
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