"Cities or Countries of Art and History" is a label awarded by the Ministry of Culture to communities that engage in an active policy of quality of heritage, architecture and living environment throughout their territory. The labeling opens the right to the allocation of a grant when the project holders request it for the development of a resource center and sharing information on the evolution of the territory, its history and its cultural wealth, heritage and architectural.
Presentation of the device
What is the label "City or Country of art and history"?
Created in 1985, the label "City or Country of art and history" is awarded to territories that commit to rely on their cultural, heritage and architectural resources to develop their territory.
The term heritage must be understood in its broadest sense, since it concerns both the entire built heritage as well as the natural, industrial, maritime, technical heritage and the memory of the inhabitants.
The Ministry of Culture supports local authorities throughout their "City or Country of Art and History" approach. An agreement, renegotiable every ten years, is signed between the labeled territory and the State.
It commits the community to:
- recruit an architecture and heritage facilitator in charge of implementing the convention
- enhance heritage and promote creation and architectural quality
- develop a public policy: sensitization of the inhabitants and all professionals to their architectural and landscape environment, initiation of the young public to architecture and heritage, reception of the tourist public
- set up a Centre for the Interpretation of Architecture and Heritage (CIAP) which presents in a didactic way the architecture and heritage of the city or the country. It is a real place of welcome for visitors, resources and debate for the inhabitants and for the actors of the territory.
Objectives of the approach
This label commits communities to implement a active policy on heritage enhancement and architectural quality and has many advantages. It thus allows labeled territories to gain visibility, join the national network of Cities or Countries of Art and History and benefit from the expertise of the Ministry of Culture in several areas, including:
- creation and architectural quality
- conservation and restoration
- exhibitions and cultural programs
- written, human, digital mediation
- arts and cultural education
- the reception of disabled audiences
- the publishing
- the professionalization of the sector by opening the right of access to the training provided by the services of the Ministry of Culture: a training "take-over" and an annual training seminar for animators of architecture and heritage.
Local authorities with whom the State has signed a convention "City or Country of art and history" can also benefit from a financial aid for:
- the salary of an architecture and heritage facilitator
- the scenography study of the architecture and heritage interpretation centre (CIAP)
- the communication documents recorded
- the educational actions
Would you like to know more about the City or Country of Art and History label? Go here:
Am I concerned by this approach?
- Communes
- Local public companies
- EPCI with own taxation
The local authorities having signed the convention "City or Country of art and history" can apply for a grant.
To guarantee the grant, it is advisable to contact in advance the decentralized services of the Ministry of Culture in your region to verify that your application is compatible with the objectives of the label "City or Country of art and history".
The communities not being labeled "City or Country of art and history" are not allowed to apply for a grant.
Associations are not eligible for new applications.
Operating expenses may be subsidized.
Capital expenditure on the design of architecture and heritage interpretation centres may be subsidized by the Ministry of Culture.
Procedure
The amount of the subsidy is determined according to the convention "City or Country of art and history". The grant represents 50% of the total expenditure allocated to the project, where possible.
Namely:
- Maximum €100,000 for the scenography of architecture and heritage interpretation centres
- 50% of the gross salary the animator of the architecture and the heritage for 2 years or the same sum distributed over 3 years, within the limit of 20,000 €
- 50% of expenses related to actions annually implemented within the framework of the label (mediation, training, research, etc.) in application of the ten-year label agreement and its financial annex
The facilitator’s salary subsidy is paid at once on the basis of an annual application and an employment account.
The grant for the construction of an architecture and heritage interpretation centre, as an investment, is released on proof of expenditure.
The share grant is paid out at once on the basis of an annual application and an employment account.
- File opening: January 2023.
- Application deadline: 15 October 2023, 23:59 (Paris time) within the limits of the credits available and the prior validation of the project.
No application can be filed or taken into account after this date.
Before any request, you must plan a prior exchange with the deconcentrated service of the Ministry of Culture of the region concerned (DRAC/ DAC). You will find the contacts below.
- To access the online form, click on the "Access form" button at the bottom of the page.
- Log in or create an account, then let us guide you.
Examples of projects supported previously
Country of art and history of Moulins Communaffected
On January 7, 2021, the new Pays d'art et d'histoire label agreement was signed, which now includes 44 municipalities. The territory of the Land of Art and History extends to the perimeter of the agglomeration community of Moulins Communauté, with 65,000 inhabitants on a territory of 1,336 km2. It combines three types of landscape: the Bocage to the west, the Sologne bourbonnaise to the east, connected by the Val d'Allier where one of the last wild rivers of Europe flows. The Pays d'art et d'histoire project is fully in line with the community’s strategy to open up the territory while making it more attractive.
Troyes
On March 3, 2022, the label "City of art and history" was officially renewed in the city of Troyes for the decade 2022-2032. 15 cities and countries of art and history are labeled in the Grand Est out of a total of 206 in France.
Reims
The new convention of the label "City and country of art and history" was signed on June 29, 2021, allowing to confirm the place of Reims among the labeled territories on the Grand Est. The City of Reims is labeled City of Art and History since 1987 and has two sites classified UNESCO.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention, you are invited to contact the decentralized service of the Ministry of Culture in your region:
Calendar
- Application deadline: 10 November 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, please contact:
- Lyon: Gilles SOUBIGOU; gilles.soubigou@culture.gouv.fr
- Clermont-Ferrand: Dorothée LANNO; dorothee.lanno@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 31 December 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Agreement in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, please contact:
- Dijon: Gaël TOURNEMOLLE; gael.tournemolle@culture.gouv.fr ; 03 80 68 50 78
- Besançon: Stephane AUBERTIN; stephane.aubertin@culture.gouv.fr ; 03 81 65 72 40
Calendar
- Application deadline: 30 November 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in Brittany Convention, please contact:
- Xavier DE SAINT-CHAMAS; xavier.de-saint-chamas@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 31 December 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Centre-Val de Loire, please contact:
- Sylvie MARCHANT; sylvie.march ant@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: date to come
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Corsica, please contact:
- Eléonore Bozzi; eleonore.bozzi@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 26 June 2024, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in the Great East Convention, please contact:
- Irène Jornet; irene.jornet@culture.gouv.fr ; 03 88 15 57 03
Calendar
- Application deadline: 30 November 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Hauts-de-France, please contact:
- Lille: Colette Drean; colette.drean@culture.gouv.fr ; 03 28 36 61 45; 06 85 99 80 00
- Amiens: Sandrine Platerier; sandrine.platerier@culture.gouv.fr ; 03 22 97 33 74; 06 31 78 75 03
- Other: Agathe Cartier; agathe.cartier@culture.gouv.fr ; 03 28 36 61 88; 06 67 54 27 64
The submission of applications must be preceded by an exchange with the advisor in charge of the territory of the project or the cultural policy developed.
Calendar
- Application deadline: 15 October 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Ile-de-France, please contact:
- Katya SAMARDZIC-CROCHU; katya.samardzic@culture.gouv.fr
- Ariane SALMET; ariane.salmet@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 31 December 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in Normandy Convention, please contact:
- Danièle MOUREU; daniele.moureu@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 10 November 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in Nouvelle-Aquitaine convention, please contact:
- Marie-Claude AUBERT; marie-claude.aubert@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 30 November 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in Occitania convention, please contact:
- Nathalie POUX; nathalie.poux@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 30 November 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in the Pays de la Loire convention, please contact:
- Alexandra MANIERE; alexandra.maniere@culture.gouv.fr
- Etienne BARTCZAK; etienne.bartczak@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 15 November 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Convention, please contact:
- Sylvaine LE YONDRE; sylvaine.leyondre@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 31 December 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Guadeloupe, please contact:
- Marie-Noëlle MARTIAL; marie-noelle.martial@culture.gouv.fr ; 05 90 41 14 48; 06 90 35 38 11
Calendar
- Application deadline: 31 December 2023, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in Guyana convention, please contact:
- Carine OLIVE; carine.olive@culture.gouv.fr; carine.olive@guyane.pref.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: 31 August 2024, 23:59 (Paris time). No application may be filed or considered after that date.
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Reunion Island, please contact:
- Carine Durand; carine.durand@culture.gouv.fr
Calendar
- Application deadline: date to come
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History Convention in Martinique, please contact:
- uap.martinique@culture.gouv.fr
- David BRIOT; david.briot@culture.gouv.fr ; 05 96 60 79 64
Calendar
- Application deadline: date to come
A question?
If you have any questions about support for local authorities that have signed the City or Country of Art and History in Mayotte convention, please contact: