History of the logo "historical monument"

Birth of the logo

6 February 1985
Jean-Pierre Weiss, Director of Heritage, chairs the jury for the selection of a plaque to be affixed to historical monuments.

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10 September 1985
On September 10, Jack Lang, Minister of Culture, holds a press conference on historic monuments, during which he announces the Open House on September 22, and inaugurates the first "historic monument" plaque placed that day on the Royal Palace, as a prelude to a campaign to encourage all owners of listed monuments to put this plaque on their building in order to alert the passerby. [...]
The logo seems to have undergone some changes in the graphics, with a contrast game in the lines more marked in the presentation of 1985 than thereafter.

NB: The Ministry of Culture and Communication has entrusted the management and exclusive distribution of the "Historic Monument" plaque to theUnion REMPART. Created in 1966, this movement now brings together more than 170 local and regional associations working to restore and promote historic sites.

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The origins: the labyrinth disappeared from the cathedral of Reims

The logo is inspired by the labyrinth of Reims Cathedral, free of its characters, with a 45° rotation and often of dark red colour.

The significance of this drawing, frequently reproduced on the pavement of the naves of the great churches of the Middle Ages, is not, moreover, elucidated: the way to Jerusalem or, more simply, the signature of the masterpieces in so far as in Reims, as in Chartres and Amiens, the labyrinth contained in some of the compartments the figure of the architects who raised these cathedrals. The labyrinth of Reims has disappeared today, following a decision of the clergy which, in the eighteenth century, had it destroyed under the pretext that the children had fun during the services to follow the crossed lines. His drawing came to us thanks to a sixteenth-century manuscript collection preserved in the National Library.

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Introduction of the logo in road signs

During the presentation of the new logo, Jack Lang evokes other uses of this "Historic Monument" signal, such as the development of a road sign program.

image source: http://blog.doctissimo.fr/phedor/autrefoispanneaux-michelin-2265080.html
Road signs for historic monuments predate the 1980s. In 1954, historical monuments were already marked on road signs.
The sign is then presented in the form of a rectangular cream pictogram framed by a dark blue listel.

By the 1980s, however, much remains to be done. At the presentation of the Heritage Plan in the Council of Ministers on September 10, 1986, François Léotard (Minister of Culture since March 1986) recognises that the signposting of historical monuments on roads and motorways is still too small despite progress and experience (especially in the department of La Manche).

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Information note. "Tourist signage - the cases of monuments historical ". February 1987
This note introduces the new ideogram "historical monument" (ID161*) created by the Ministry of Culture; it describes the characteristics of the advance signs and position signs on which the ideogram is affixed and clearly specifies the rules for the use and placement of these signs.
Historical monuments likely to be marked must be registered or classified, be open to visitors and present a significant cultural attraction.

> The advanced warning signs
It must be planted in open country only, maximum 10 km from the monument. There can be no more than 4 such signs per monument.

> The position sign
Rectangular in shape and finished with an arrow, it clearly indicates the direction to take and, possibly, the mileage. It has a white background with listel and black characters. When it reports a historic monument, it systematically includes the brown ideogram.

*ID ideograms are pictograms placed in front of destination indications with the exception of agglomeration indications. They simplify the reading of a panel by replacing part of the written information with an icon. The ideograms of type ID also include the appellation «Musée de France» and the label «Jardin remarquable». Cf. Article 9 of the Order of 31 July 2002 amending
Decree of 24 November 1967 on road and motorway signs. JORF of 21 September 2002.

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The Grenelle Law (or National Environmental Commitment Act of 12 July 2010) as well as the decree of 30 January 2012 profoundly reformed the regulations relating to outdoor advertising, signs and pre-signs (the advanced signs indicated in the 1987 note are part of them) in force.

The Grenelle Law notably revised the status of derogatory pre-signs by considerably reducing the scope of activities that can be reported by this means: since 13 July 2015, can only be reported “activities related to the manufacture or sale of local products”, “ cultural activities as well as monuments classified or listed as historical monuments open to visitors ” and, on a temporary basis, “exceptional cultural or tourism events”.

With regard to historical monuments, the Environment Code, in its article R. 581-67, states that There may be no more than four pre-signs per monument, when these pre-signs indicate historical monuments, classified or inscribed, open to visitors. Two of these pre-signs, when they indicate the proximity of a listed or listed historic monument, open to visitors, can be installed within 100 metres or in the protected area of the monument.”
Derogation signs may not, as a general rule, be located more than five kilometres from the entrance to the agglomeration or the place where the activity they indicate is carried out. This restriction is increased to ten kilometres for listed or inscribed historical monuments open to visitors.

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Sources:
. Ministry of Culture newsletter, 1985-1986.
. CETE Normandie Centre. Information Note "Tourist signage - the cases of historical monuments". (Technical Documentation; Circulation Sécurité; No. 37). February 1987
. Order of 22 July 1954 «Road signs» - JORF of 23 July 1954, page 6961.
. Law no. 2010-788 of 12 July 2010 national commitment to the environment
. Decree no. 2012-118 of 30 January 2012 on outdoor advertising, signs and pre-signs
. Order of 23 March 2015 laying down certain requirements for the harmonization of derogation pre-signs