Government services and agents
Within the Ministry of Culture, the policy of protection, conservation and presentation of historical monuments and heritage sites is designed and implemented by the central administration and the decentralized services (Regional Cultural Affairs Directorates), services with national competence and public institutions.
The services in charge of historical monuments and heritage sites were gradually established from the middle of the 19th century. This network, which covers the entire national territory, includes administrative staff, conservation and documentation staff, engineers and technicians, research staff, specialist supervisors and experts.
It is structured around a central level of administration, the Directorate-General for Heritage (Heritage Service – Historic Monuments and Protected Areas Sub-Directorate, Heritage Inspection) and a decentralized level of administration, regional cultural affairs directorates.
The network relies in particular on the Historical Monuments Research Laboratory and has the resources of the Architecture and Heritage Library.
Under the authority of the regional prefect and prefects of department, within the DRAC, the regional conservation of historical monuments and the departmental units of architecture and heritage animate the actions of protection, the conservation, restoration and upgrading of buildings and movable objects classified or listed as historic monuments and heritage sites.
