Protection for historic monuments is a public utility easement based on the heritage interest of a property, which is assessed by examining a range of historical, artistic, scientific and technical criteria. The notions of rarity, exemplarity, authenticity and integrity of goods are taken into account. In order to ensure its conservation, restoration and development, a building or movable object may be protected as a historical monument.
Since the establishment of the Historic Monuments Commission in 1837, more than 45,991 buildings, nearly 300,000 movable objects, including more than 1,600 organs, have been classified or listed as historic monuments (in 2022).
Each year, approximately 300 buildings and 1,500 movable objects are protected as historic monuments.
Synopsis
What is protection under Historic Monuments?
What are the advantages of protection under Historic Monuments?
What’s the protective procedure?
What are the effects of protection?
The Atlas of Heritage
What is protection under Historic Monuments?
There are two levels of protection for historic monuments: inscription and classification. Registration is the first level of protection and the highest classification.
Buildings or parts of buildings, whether built or not (gardens, caves, parks, archaeological remains and land containing such remains) and movable objects (furniture by nature or buildings by destination, such as organs) may be protected.
Traditional heritages (churches and castles for buildings, works of art and antique furniture for movable objects) remain the vast majority in all historical monuments, and continue to form the majority of protected assets each year. However, a significant increase in the categories of protected property has taken place since the 1970s: gardens, buildings and movable objects of the XIXe and XXe centuries, industrial, scientific and technical heritage (factories, buildings and structures of railway, ships, trains, planes or automobiles, scientific collections) now occupy a significant place, although still a minority, of goods classified and registered.
What are the advantages of protection under Historic Monuments?
The owner of a historic monument benefits from:
- Mention in the communication documents distributed by the Ministry of Culture, especially at the time of the European Heritage Days;
- Possibility of obtaining specific road signs bearing the logotype Historical monument ;
- Authorisation to use the logo on all communication and signalétique documents;
- Obligation to take into account the historic monument building in the definition of local town planning plans (PLU) or in the management plans of notable heritage sites ;
- Possibility of grants for projects related to the study, maintenance, repair and restoration of buildings, movable objects and organs classified or inscribed as historical monuments not belonging to the State;
- Opportunity to benefit from fiscal arrangements for the conservation and restoration of historic monuments.
What’s the protective procedure?
The request for protection may come from the owner of the property, the assignee, or any person having an interest in it (local authorities, association of defense of the heritage, etc...). The initiative of a protection can also come from the services of the prefect of region (Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs) or the Minister of Culture (Directorate General of Heritage and Architecture).
Requests for classification or registration of buildings or movable objects as historical monuments should be addressed to the Prefect of the Region (DRAC). They must be accompanied by a description of the building, elements relating to its history and architecture, as well as photographs and graphic documents representing it in its entirety and in its most interesting aspects from the point of view of history and art.
On the basis of the criteria defined, the Regional Heritage and Architecture Commissions (RCAP) and the National Heritage and Architecture Commission (NFAC) formulate opinions on applications for protection.
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What are the effects of protection?
Historical monuments, because of their historical, artistic or architectural interest, are the subject of special provisions for their conservation so that all maintenance interventions, repair, restoration or modification can be carried out while maintaining the cultural interest that justified their protection.
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Example of visualization of Historical Monuments in the Atlas of Heritage
The Heritage Atlas offers cartographic access (by geolocation) with cultural and heritage information. It allows you to search, view, edit and download geographical data on a territory.
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