Owned by the State and managed by the DRAC (UDAP 37 and Regional Conservation of Historical Monuments), the cathedral, classified as a historical monument since 1862, is one of the emblematic buildings of the city and the region.
Housing a medieval frame, an exceptional set of stained glass windows of the thirteenth century, as well as many works of art including the tomb of the children of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany, this monument is the object of constant care through annual maintenance operations, of restoration work, but also of a vigilance regarding its security against fire, which has become a major issue of the Ministry of Culture since that of the Cathedral of Paris in 2019.
In this context, an exercise of the SDIS 37, coordinated by the Prefecture of Indre-et-Loire, was organized on 4 May to test the protocols of intervention in case of major disaster defined by the ETARE plan as well as by the plan for safeguarding cultural property, developed in close collaboration between the State services and the departmental relief services.
During three hours, the exercise mobilized significant material and logistic resources, deployed by nearly 80 firefighters, as well as many officers of the municipal police, prefectural corps, DRAC services, the clergy affected, with the collaboration also of the teams of the Museum of Fine Arts, next to the cathedral and potential place of withdrawal of the works to be evacuated.
While this situation has made it possible to identify a few points for improvement, overall, intervention methodologies such as the planning documents have shown their relevance and effectiveness. In parallel and in addition to the collaborative work already conducted, a study dedicated to the improvement of the protection of the building against fire, entrusted by the CRMH to the chief architect of the historic monuments in charge of the cathedral, Denis Dodeman, is currently in progress.