The label created by the Ministry of Culture in 1985 concerns 200 cities and countries of art and history, including 15 in the Great East. It distinguishes territories, municipalities or groups of municipalities that, aware of the stakes that represent the appropriation by the population of their architecture and heritage, engage in an active approach of knowledge, conservation and mediation.
The objectives of the label "City and country of art and history"
- contribute to social cohesion;
- promote the democratisation of culture by raising public awareness of architecture, heritage, works of art in public spaces and landscape;
- contribute to the development of a quality living environment by promoting architectural and urban quality;
- strengthen the attractiveness of territories and their cultural development by structuring the offer of cultural tourism;
- constitute an important economic issue by providing support for cultural employment and contributing to the economic development of the territories.
The decennial renewal of the conventions cities and countries of art and history: a priority of the Ministry of Culture
The implementation of the label is based on a partnership between the State and local authorities which, after awarding the label, is formalized by the signing of a ten-year agreement. The actions are developed in close collaboration with DRAC Grand Est.
The renewal process allows to take stock in terms of raising awareness among residents, young people and tourists and define new issues, in particular as regards:
- visibility of the City of Art and History service;
- strengthening of the mediation team;
- development of public policy;
- development of arts and cultural education (through the Territorial Contract for Arts and Cultural Education);
- partnership with the Tourist Office (2021-2024 convention).
Reims: labeled since 1987
The City of Reims, labeled City of Art and History since 1987, is part of the network of cities and countries of art and history of the Grand Est region. It is the second most populous city in the network after Strasbourg, and the only one with two UNESCO-listed sites.
Following the favourable opinion of the Commission régionale du patrimoine et de l'architecture du Grand Est of December 3, 2019, the Prefect of the Grand Est region decided to renew the convention on January 22, 2020.
Through its actions, the label «City of art and history» makes it possible to restore coherence and heritage interest to the whole city, by diversifying the cultural offer, by investing in historical periods little treated such as Reconstruction and Art Nouveau, by addressing more complex themes, by integrating contemporary architecture in a continuous reading of the city and by presenting the Reims heritage in all its diversity.
The themes developed in Reims : the ancient city (the largest to the west of the Roman Empire); the medieval city opening with the baptism of Clovis and flourishing with the coronations; the city «embellished» in modern times by remarkable amenities such as the Royal Square; the industrial period (textile, succursalism, champagne) integrating the emergence of suburbs with adapted equipment and housing; the reconstruction of the city center and the creation of garden cities after the First World War; housing on the outskirts of the city (1920-2000); contemporary architecture and XXI urban projectse century…
The main objectives of the new agreement
- Valuing heritage and promoting architectural quality
- Developing a public policy
- Raise awareness among residents and professionals of their architectural and landscape environments;
- introduce young people to architecture and heritage;
- welcome the tourist public.
- Set up a service for the promotion and promotion of architecture and heritage and an interpretation centre for architecture and heritage (CIAP);
- be part of the orientation scheme "Living culture in Reims, 2019-2024"
As part of the “Associate heritage and creation” objective of the “Live culture in Reims, 2019-2024” orientation scheme, heritage actions are a challenge for:
- develop bridges between heritage, creation and inhabitants;
- bring out the keys of contemporary interpretation of the territory and project into the future;
- make heritage an open concept, extended to a “heritage in the plural”;
- propose a new, inclusive and balanced vision of urban development;
- Implement an ambitious policy to promote heritage through the renewal of the City of Art and History label.
The label“ City or country of art and history » is awarded by the prefect of the region, after consulting the Regional Commission of Architecture and Heritage.
It describes territories, communes or groups of communes, which, aware of the stakes that represent the appropriation of their architecture and heritage by the inhabitants engage in an active approach of knowledge, conservation, mediation and support for the creation and quality of architecture and living environment.
This commitment is part of a perspective of cultural, social and economic development and meets the following objective: to ensure the transmission to future generations of witnesses to history and the living environment through a process of collective accountability.
The cultural project «Cities and countries of art and history» combines in its approach all the elements - natural and landscape heritage, architectural, urban and furniture, technical and ethnological heritage - who contribute to the identity of a territory by associating citizens and involving actors who participate in the architectural and landscape quality of the living environment.
Learn more
on the label Ville et Pays d'art et d'histoire
The label "Cities and countries of art and history": the strength of a network
Partager la page