Michel Claverie, owner of the Tivoli, honored during the Livradissima evening

The Livradissima evening, which honors local associations, allowed many Livradais to be rewarded on Friday November 29. Michel Claverie received the “Livradissima of honor”, ​​presented by elected officials. To salute “someone who has marked the life of our commune, underlined the 1^is deputy, Jacques Borderie. Coming from a large family settled here for four generations, he distinguished himself across a large part of the country.”

Aged 94, the winner was unable to be present; the trophy was thus given to his son, Laurent. Jacques Borderie recalled that the family saga of Michel Claverie and the Tivoli, of which he is still the owner, had begun in the 1840s, with Jean.

Michel's grandfather installed the first casino on the banks of the Lot, in Saint-Martin. Following a subsidence of the banks, he had a second Tivoli built (in the current premises of Terre du Sud). A building enlarged by René, father of Michel, who also created the Harmonie Livradaise. Then René sold the building and opened the Florida cinema, near the town hall. A music teacher at Paul-Froment college, he also ran the Le Siècle café.

Passionate about music

At the end of the Second World War, Michel Claverie, passionate about music, won the first prize at the Toulouse conservatory, where he worked alongside Pierre Perret. He became a teacher at the Villeneuve music school, then at the Livradais college, before founding the Sainte-Livrade associative music school (which he chaired for around ten years). The Michel Claverie orchestra has also been talked about for its talent.

During a trip to the Dordogne, at the Château des Milandes, Michel met Suzy, secretary of Joséphine Baker, who became his wife. In 1983, he took over the 3^e Tivoli, Place de la Mairie, succeeding the La Chaumière dance hall. Laurent Claverie, from 4^e generation of musicians, himself became director of the municipal music school, saxophone teacher, and professor at the Grand Villeneuvois music conservatory.