Françoise Nyssen, Minister of Culture, on the proposal of the National Council of Cities and Countries of Art and History, has decided to award the label «City and Country of Art and History» to two new territories, Grenoble and Tourcoing, and to extend the label to a territory already certified, the Pays du Perche Sarthois.
The award of the label «Ville et Pays d'art et d'histoire» is part of the action of the Ministry of Culture in favor of the awareness of all the audiences of the quality of the heritage, the architecture and the living environment. Enhancing the landscape and architecture of the XXth Cities and Countries of Art and History are also among the priorities of the conventions, signed by the communities that are thus committed to a global approach to sustainable development and promotion of their territory to residents and tourists. The network of «Cities and Countries of Art and History» actively participates in all the actions of valorization of architecture organized by the Ministry of Culture.
Enclosed in a mountainous setting, Grenoble is identified as a city of scientific and technological innovations and as a university city. Rich in ancient heritage and buildings labeled «Remarkable contemporary architecture» by the Ministry of Culture, the city intends, thanks to the label «City of art and history», to facilitate the understanding of the diversity of its heritage, to encourage the participation of the inhabitants to enrich the knowledge and coordinate the actors involved in the field of heritage, architecture and mediation.
By awarding the label «City of art and history» to Tourcoing, the Minister of Culture recognizes the quality of the actions carried out by the city for the reconversion of industrial heritage, its desire to make this label a tool of social cohesion, but also the priority given by the city to educational actions.
The Pays du Perche Sarthois received the label «Pays d'art et d'histoire» in 1998. From then on, the mixed union knew how to value the wealth of heritage of this territory and rely on highly qualified professionals and an association network committed to go to meet the inhabitants and schools. The renewal of the convention "Pays d'art et d'histoire" concerns a territory modified following the reconfiguration of communities of communes on 1er january 2017.
The National Council, meeting on 22 June 2017, also announced the renewal of the conventions of the «Cities of Art and History» of Nîmes (Occitanie), Bourges, Loches (Centre-Val-de-Loire) and Roubaix (Hauts de France).
The network of Cities and Countries of Art and History now includes 188 «Cities and Countries of Art and History».