Bouchaballe's plot of land - Couchouren's will


The name Bouchaballe is often mentioned when speaking of Max Jacob’s work (1883-1944). The story of the town’s theatre is indeed a local matter that has preoccupied Quimper city for numerous years. Influenced by the quarrel, Max Jacob wrote a play and a novel, both named Le Terrain Bouchaballe (The Bouchaballe’s plot of land), very rightly describing Quimper and its inhabitants at the beginning of the twentieth century.


For 20 years, Quimper’s biggest dream had been to have a theatre, to replace the old one, considered too narrow, noisy and dangerous, and to allow the population to attend important plays without having to move out of the city. This dream was the mayor’s one too. Quimper was indeed the only town in « Finistère » without a theatre.

Then, in august 1883, the mayor, Mr Astor, received Urbain Couchouren’s will : « I leave to the city of Quimper the plot of land belonging to me, between the « rue Neuve », the river « Odet » and the street of the « Pont Firmin »... to build a hospice for the old people of Quimper ». But the mayor wanted a theatre...

Urbain Couchouren
Urbain Couchouren


Inauguration
Inauguration

So, the Couchouren case began in september 1883 and ended triumphantly on the 20th of August 1899.



Of course, the Couchouren family caused a few problems, but the mayor with the agreement of both the President of the Republic and the Home Secretary finally put an end to the conflict : the compromise was that, while allowed to dispose of the plot of land, the mayor had to give the city hospice 80000 pounds as a compensation.


The papers were signed on the 20th august 1899. At last, the theatre was built and inaugurated on the 13th february 1904. It has just been baptised Max Jacob Theatre, as a tribute to the famous inhabitant of the city.





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