• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

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) wit hin 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, Estimated perimeter of the Quebec building). Jacobean compound f rom the Medieval period. Maison de la Région buildings. Site of archeological excavation f rom Jacobean church destroyed at 1983 to 1998. the beginning of the 19th century. Roads forming the site perimeter La rue de l'Ancienne-Comédie formerly opening onto the Impasse des 3 La rue de la Cathédrale. 1 Jacobins on the east side, which disappeared in 1922. La rue Arsène Orillard, La rue du Marché-Notre-Dame: 4 formerlyRue des Juifs, then Rue du Gervis-Vert. the section betw een the current 2 addresses, 31 Rue du Marché-Notre- The former Rue du Pont-Neuf, now Rue Jean- Dame and 15 Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie 5 Jaurès gradually advanced in sections into the was called Rue des Jacobins until 1895. 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 Arsène- Orillard having provided vital access to the ancient town. Gallo-Roman remains In 1886, Père de La Croix, a famous archaeologist from Poitiers, discovered 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 were found beneath Rue de l'Eperon and Rue de l'Ancienne-Comédie of walls, paving, pillars, pieces of marble, porphyry and glass, fragments of pottery, vases, amphoras, engravings and a statuette of a w oman. In 1983, an ancient dwelling inhabited between the 1st and 4th centuries AD was uncovered between the Rue de l’Ancienne- Comédie 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 two basement rooms, used for the building’s heating system (this A praefurnium (pipe for channelling fuel) discovered in type of room, a hypocaust, was especially found in Roman baths). 1983 in an ancient dwelling. It was dismantled and reassembled The building also had a private shrine with its own podium or altar. at the Sainte-Croix museum, Poitiers. The upper part of a statue of the goddess of abundance was also discovered, which had very probably been on the podium. Discoveries were also made in the shrine of two 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 revealed included an oil lamp, around sixty coins, pieces of pottery and painted fragments. In 1998 whilst extension work was being carried out on the Maison de la Région (the future Galice building), a new excavation unearthed other remains: walls with marble fragments, shards of pottery and painted decorative items that may date from the second half of the 2nd century. Charred remains show that a fire destroyed 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 13th century church doorway at no.9 Rue de from the ducal palace, Notre-Dame-la-Grande, the shops l’Ancienne-Comédie. After being cleaned and and the town’s trading centre. The convent was given the 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 it may be seen today. benefactors, some of whom were highly ranked such as 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 century Jacobin church 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 4 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 The meeting of King Philippe le Bel and Pope Clement V in convent as the seat of the University of Poitiers. Poitiers is commemorated by a plaque mounted at the Five subjects were taught at the time: arts and crossroads of Rue Jean-Jaurès and Rue des Grandes- literature, 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.

Load more

  16

Copy Link