The Ministry of Culture created the Maisons des Illustres label in 2011. The ninth labelling campaign took place in November 2019.

The label is awarded to houses that preserve and transmit the memory of women and men who lived in them and have distinguished themselves in the political, social and cultural history of France, with respect for the values of the French Republic. They make the link between local and national history, capturing the intimate and great narrative, passed down legacies and artistic creation.

These houses open their doors to visitors at least forty days a year, present a cultural program suitable for all audiences, and some are accessible to people with disabilities. The label thus participates in the project of arts and cultural education and cultural democratization through a local heritage in the heart of the territories. It is also part of the networks managed by the Ministry of Culture: Museums of France, Cities and Countries of Art and History, Remarkable Gardens, European Heritage, Remarkable Contemporary Architecture.

The label aims to promote the applications of illustrious women and people from diversity within the framework of the dual ministerial labelling Equality and Diversity. It pursues a policy of diversification by being more open to contemporary heritage, in particular architectural. It aims to adapt to a more current definition of the illustration.

The Maisons des Illustres network is expanding and affirming its territorial roots, thanks to this new labelling campaign.

11 new houses were labelled in 2019:

  • La Maison de Marie Noël, in Auxerre (89, Yonne), Burgundy-Franche-Comté;
  • The Museum of Enamels and Mosaic, former residence of Jean-Félix Bapterosses, in Briare (45, Loiret), Centre-Val de Loire;
  • Verlaine House, Metz (57, Moselle), Grand Est;
  • The Castle of Edouard Salin, in Laneuville-devant-Nancy (54, Meurthe and Moselle), Grand Est;
  • Yves-Saint-Laurent Museum, Paris (75, Paris), Île-de-France;
  • Jean-Jacques Henner Museum – Guillaume Dubufe, Paris, (75, Paris), Île-de-France;
  • Atelier Chana Orloff, Paris (75, Paris), Île-de-France;
  • Maison Jeanne d'Albret, in Orthez (64, Pyrénées-Atlantiques), Nouvelle Aquitaine;
  • Villa Antonine, in Béziers (34, Hérault), Occitanie;
  • Hotel Fayet, in Béziers (34, Hérault), Occitanie;
  • Villa «Les Lauriers Roses» - Jean Aicard-Paulin Bertrand museum, in La Garde (83, Var), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

Thus, the network is developing and now has 245 labelled places, which can be found on the interactive map, remembering that 4 are located outside French administrative borders.

For 2018, entries are estimated at 3.3 million for 162 open sites.

By crossing the threshold of a house of Illustrious, transformed today into a museum, cultural center, place of resources, or space of encounters, each of us is invited to live the experience of a truly embodied heritage.” Franck Riester, Minister of Culture

To learn more about the Label Maisons des Illustres:

http://www.culture.gouv.fr/Aides-demarches/Protections-labels-et-appellations/Label-Maisons-des-illustres