Exceptional facades. Doors that open to stylish interiors. Throughout the 300 pages of the book Beautiful residences in Poitiersthe reader is told about a city through different perspectives. Those of two passionate about art history and photography.
Daniel Clauzier is, among other things, a tour guide in the museums of Poitiers and attached to the Grand Poitiers heritage service. Maud Pidérit is also an art historian but a professional photographer. Friends in life for twenty years, the two co-authors have collaborated hand in hand to provide breathtaking work in terms of images and historical research.
“I really rediscovered my city”
“This book is part of a series with Royan, Cap Ferret, Niort… The publishing house La Geste contacted me to include Poitiers but I didn't see myself calling the owners. I was on the verge of refusing and La Geste, who had already worked with Élisabeth Morin, put us in touch. »
Maud Pidérit joined the adventure at the request of Daniel Clauzier. Both meet Élisabeth Morin-Chartier, former MEP and president of the Poitou-Charentes region, and Suzanne Mathieux-Ségeron, interior designer. The two women will open their respective address books and will only receive three or four refusals.
“I did not want us to limit ourselves to private mansions or bourgeois houses, cadre Daniel Clauzier. “Worker” type houses, architects’ and artists’ houses were among our choices. » Finally, and somewhat against all expectations, 153 houses appear in this work, including 73 interiors. “I really rediscovered my city, s'enthusiasm Daniel Clauzier. Half of the houses were new to me; I had never studied them and I discovered some hidden treasures like frescoes in an attic. »
Towards a second volume?
After a year and a half of work for both historical research and iconographic requirements, the work takes us from the Gallo-Roman era to the present day with real ease of reading.
Daniel Clauzier looked at a large number of documents from departmental and municipal archives, books on Poitiers, plans and building permits “even if certain residences [m’] gave a hard time ». “The owners did not all know the history of their house but we noticed that they cultivated the notion of passage, with the desire to respect it”specify the co-authors.
However, the publishing house has chosen not to show any humans in the photos. A bias that the co-authors did not discuss. “We have a few pets in pictures; it gives life and scale”assures Maud Pidérit, who fell in love with a villa not far from the plateau dominated by a gigantic rock (p. 238). Daniel Clauzier, for his part, was amazed by the story of the facade of the Sartoris house, the work of the painter Jacques Antoine Sartoris, forgotten in Poitiers but known, in particular, in La Roche-sur-Yon (p. 136).
The co-authors believe that there are many beautiful houses left to discover in Poitiers and its surroundings. And are up for a second volume.
“Beautiful residences of Poitiers”, by Daniel Clauzier and Maud Pidérit, under the direction of Élisabeth Morin-Chartier, published by La Geste, 328 pages. €50.
