Historical monuments - Practical guides

A Historic Monument is a building, a space, that has been classified or inscribed to protect it, because of its historical or artistic interest. Historic Monument status is a recognition by the Nation of the heritage value of a property. This protection implies a shared responsibility between owners and the national community for its conservation and transmission to future generations. As such, the heritage protected under the title of Historic Monuments today includes multiple domains such as domestic, religious, industrial and scientific heritage. Its temporal field extends from the prehistoric period to the 20th century.

As of February 1, 2015, some 43,600 buildings are protected under the Historical Monuments in France (14,100 classified and 29,500 registered), as well as some 300,000 movable objects (over 135,000 classified and around 150,000 registered) and more than 1,400 organs.

In recent years, the legislative and regulatory regime of Historic Monuments has undergone profound changes. First, the “owner” of a Historic Monument is now the owner of the works undertaken there. As such, it is up to the Commission to define the programmes for maintenance or restoration operations, to choose the prime contractor for the buildings, the consultant for the protected organs and the companies and restaurateurs who will be responsible for the work. It also provides funding and solicits assistance from the State, communities or other partners (Heritage Foundation, sponsors...).

This full responsibility of the owner is however accompanied by very precise rules for the implementation of the works which are also subject to scientific and technical control exercised by the heritage services of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (CRMH, Departmental Units of Architecture and Heritage and Regional Service of Archaeology).

In order to assist communities in the investigation of authorization files on buildings classified or registered under the title of Historic Monuments, the Regional Conservation of Historic Monuments offers these practical guides:

• 1 - AUTHORIZATIONS FOR WORK ON BUILDINGS CLASSIFIED AS HISTORIC MONUMENTS
  PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR COMMUNITIES:

• 2 - LES AUTORISATIONS DE TRAVAUX SUR LES IMMEUBLES CLASSÉS AU TITRE DES MONUMENTS HISTORIQUES
  GUIDE PRATIQUE - Ce guide-pratique est un rappel de la loi et de la procédure à mettre en œuvre pour l’instruction des autorisations de travaux sur édifices classés :

• 3 - LES AUTORISATIONS DE TRAVAUX SUR LES IMMEUBLES INSCRITS AU TITRE DES MONUMENTS HISTORIQUES
  GUIDE PRATIQUE À L’INTENTION DES COLLECTIVITÉS :

• 4 - LES AUTORISATIONS DE TRAVAUX SUR LES IMMEUBLES INSCRITS AU TITRE DES MONUMENTS HISTORIQUES
  GUIDE PRATIQUE - Ce guide-pratique est un rappel de la loi et de la procédure à mettre en œuvre pour l’instruction des autorisations de travaux sur édifices inscrits :