Frédéric Boyer, the third key individual in this publication, is the Project Manager and Director of Publications at Mémoires Millénaires. This association brings together scientists, novelists, and actors with the goal of combining knowledge and escape. He had the idea of enhancing historical heritage. A good idea that has already been realized through publications:
“The Pneumatic Lighter, the unpublished investigation,” written by Bertrand Roussel (Doctor in Prehistory and head of collections at the Terra Amata museum) and Paul Boutié (Lecturer at Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier), who passed away just after the publication.
“Where the Earth Touches the Sky,” which revives the era of the engravers of the Valley of Marvels and explores why these men suddenly stopped inscribing messages to their gods in the mountain. Fabrice Anfosso wrote the novel accompanied by interviews with specialists.
And on June 10th, “The Manuscript of the Door” is released. The Door refers to the Pairolière Gate. Located at Square Toja, this Gate was the main access point for entering Nice.
This work details the results of excavations carried out in the city during the construction of the Tramway and brings to life the lifestyle of the people of Nice at the very beginning of the 15th century… The excavations are explained by Marc Bouiron, archaeologist for the city of Nice and head of the excavation site. The novel is written by Fabrice Anfosso. The synopsis sets the mood of the book:
“Year of grace 1406.
The Church is divided by the Schism when Benedict XIII, the pope of Avignon, decides to move to Nice to escape the plague. The author of the manuscript, who refuses to give his name, is an officer tasked with overseeing the interests of the Crown. Associating with the pontiff and his court, he finds himself at the heart of the dramatic events that will mark the summer of 1406. Indeed, Saint Colette of Corbie, well known for her miracles, traveled to Nice at this time to seek the pope’s support in her project to reform the Franciscan order. But her arrival, surrounded by events as extraordinary as they are disturbing, soon leads to the death of several people. The narrator cannot bring himself to believe in such merciless divine punishment and soon suspects a much more earthly assassin. Encouraged by troubling nocturnal visions, he begins his investigations. He does not yet suspect the extent of the conspiracy he is about to uncover, nor the power of the enemy he will have to face. On the other hand, he quickly realizes that God has chosen him among all to discover the truth, and that his reasoning skills, henceforth, must contend with the intervention of the supernatural.” Though fictional, key characters, customs, and life in Nice at the beginning of the 15th century, when 5000 inhabitants lived there, are portrayed. “At the end of the book, one thinks: ‘why not’!” summarizes Frédéric Boyer. Even though fiction predominates, the investigation is credible, validated by historians and researchers.
Frédéric Boyer has other projects in mind. He hopes to revitalize ancient or medieval sites on the French Riviera such as Fréjus, the Castle of Nice, or Cimiez. Meanwhile, he hopes his concept will find readers for “The Manuscript of the Door” and continues his theatrical performances to show both young and old the archaeological facts from the time when sites were occupied: “The Venus of the Red Rocks” at the Grimaldi Caves 25,000 years ago (Italian border) and “The Birth of Doubt,” about the Valley of Marvels (Alpes-Maritimes) during the Bronze Age.
