The main dates of the historical monuments
Here you will find a selective chronology of the main legislative texts. In addition, you will find a detailed chronology of the «service des monuments historiques» which deals with the domain of buildings, their surroundings, protected spaces, as well as movable objects and organs. It also evokes the field of archaeology and the general inventory of cultural heritage and the emergence of safeguarding associations, professional associations and international organizations.
1790 | Instruction of 13 October 1790 charging the directories of the departments and the municipality of Paris with establish the state and ensure the conservation of monuments, churches and houses become national estates ». |
1810 | Circular of 10 May 1810 from the Count of Montalivet, Minister of the Interior to the Prefects concerning the «old monuments»: « I need accurate information on the French monuments, and mainly on the ancient castles that existed and still exist in your departments... ». The questionnaire covers castles, abbeys, tombs, “curious ornaments or debris” and also asks to identify correspondents. |
1830 | Report presented to the King on October 21, 1830 by François Guizot, Minister, Secretary of State at the Department of the Interior to institute an inspector general of historical monuments in France (approved by Louis-Philippe on October 23). |
1837 | Circular to the prefects of 10 August 1837 calling on them to list the «old monuments» and to «classify them in order of importance» indicating the sums necessary to «keep or restore them in good condition» (MAP 80/1/17). It’s the appearance of the term “ranking”. |
1841 | Circular of October 1, 1841 from the Minister of the Interior to the prefects stating, concerning the listed monuments, that «these monuments cannot be modified without the project having been sent to me and having received my approval». |
1887 | The Law of 30 March 1887 on the Conservation of Monuments and Works of Art of Historical and Artistic Interest gives the classification legal significance, whereas it was previously only indicative. The system adopted is still quite restrictive: only goods of national interest of art or history can be classified, the classification of buildings belonging to private owners is possible only with their agreement, the classification of movable objects is established but only for objects belonging to public authorities. Buildings by destination are subject to the property protection scheme by nature. The Act establishes ministerial authorization for repair, restoration or modification work. The regime of movable objects concerns objects belonging to the State, public persons, factories (bodies responsible for administering the property of churches). The imprescriptibility is limited to three years for classified objects not belonging to the State. |
1889 | Decree of 3 January 1889 concerning the Commission des monuments historiques. |
1905 | Law of 9 December 1905 on the separation of Churches and the State. The law of separation specifies the regime of ownership of the State and the local authorities on the buildings of worship and defines the modalities of the cult use of these buildings. The law provides for the additional classification of buildings and movable objects of cult buildings within 3 years, extension of the period for movable objects in 1908 and 1911 in order to avoid illegal theft or alienation. The act provides for oversight of work that has been the subject of ministerial authorization since 1887. |
1907 | Decree of 12 April 1907 prescribing the meeting of the service of religious buildings with that of historical monuments. In July 1907, the Office of Religious Buildings joined the Office of Historical Monuments in the new Division of Architectural Services of the Under-Secretary of State for Fine Arts. |
1909 | Decree of 17 May 1909 on the organization of the Commission des monuments historiques: three sections are established: historical monuments proper (20 members), prehistoric monuments (15 members), antiques and works of art (10 members). |
1913 | Law of 31 December 1913 on historical monuments published in the Official Journal on 3 January 1914. Drawing on the consequences of the shortcomings of the 1887 law and the effects of the law of 9 December 1905 on the separation of churches and the State, a new project, in gestation as early as 1907 at the Sub-Secretary of State for Fine-ArtsArts, was introduced in the Chamber of Deputies on 11November 1910 by Aristide Briand, President of the Council, Minister of the Interior and Religious Affairs (1862-1932) and Maurice Faure, Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts (1850-1919). The main innovations are:
During the XXe The Law of 1913, inserted in the Heritage Code (Book VI) since 2004, has been amended and supplemented several times but remains today the foundation of the State intervention system for the protection and safeguarding of historic monuments. Other mechanisms then allowed a broader consideration of the heritage. |
1924 | Decree of 18 March 1924, public administration regulations made for the application of the law of 31 December 1913. |
1927 | Law of 23 July 1927 amending the law of 1913. In addition to establishing a supplementary inventory regime, this law extends the criteria for the inscription of buildings: the interest of sufficient art or history replaces the sufficient archaeological interest. |
1943 | Act No. 92 of 25 February 1943 amending the Act of 1913 authorizing work on buildings situated in the field of visibility of historic monuments. |
1948 | Finance Law of 21 December 1948 establishing the first regional conservation of buildings in France. |
1962 | Law no. 62-903 of 4 August 1962 supplementing the legislation on the protection of the historical and aesthetic heritage of France and tending to facilitate the real estate restoration known as the Malraux Law on the sectors safeguarded and the real estate restoration. |
1966 | Law no. 66-1042 of 30 December 1966 amending the law of 31 December 1913 which specifies the rules of compensation and establishes the procedure of works of office. |
1970 | Act No. 70-1219 of 23 December 1970 amending and supplementing the Act of 1913, which establishes the addition of historical monuments to the inventory for movable objects of historical interest, art, science or technology and belong to public bodies (the criterion of technical interest is added on this occasion). The decision on this inscription is decentralized to the prefect of department, who must first obtain the opinion of a departmental committee of movable objects. |
1980 | Law No. 80-532 of 15 July 1980 on the protection of public collections against acts of malice allowing sworn curators to draw up minutes in case of degradation of protected objects (updating of the 1810 Penal Code, codified in 2004 in Book I of the Heritage Code). |
1983 | Law no. 83-8 of 7 January 1983 on the division of powers between municipalities, departments, regions and the State: this law notably establishes zones for the protection of architectural and urban heritage (ZPPAU). In 1993, these areas became protected areas for architectural, urban and landscape heritage (ZPPAUP) and AVAP in 2010. |
1984 | Decree no. 84-1006 of 15 November 1984 amending the 1913 Act and the Decree of 18 March 1984: this decree gives the prefect of the region the decision on the inclusion in the additional inventory of buildings, which must be taken after the opinion of a regional commission for the historical, archaeological and ethnological heritage (COREPHAE). The application circular is dated 24 January 1985. |
1985 | Circular No. 63150 of 5 August 1985 on the organization of studies and works on listed historical monuments: reform of preliminary studies and clarifications on documentation of works. |
1988 | Programme Law no. 88-12 of 5 January 1988 on monumental heritage (1988 - 1992). |
1993 | Act No. 93-24 of 8 January 1993 on the protection and enhancement of landscapes and amending certain legislative provisions relating to public inquiries: land use plans must “7. Identify and delineate the neighbourhoods, streets, monuments, sites, landscape features and areas to be protected or enhanced for aesthetic, historical or ecological reasons and define, where appropriate, the requirements to ensure their protection” (7)section L 123-1 7 of the Urban Planning Code). |
1997 | Law no. 97-179 of 28 February 1997 on the instruction of work authorizations in the field of visibility of classified or registered buildings and in the areas safeguarded. The Regional Commission for Heritage and Sites (CRPS) replaces the Regional Commission for Historical, Archaeological and Ethnological Heritage and the Regional College for Heritage and Sites. The organization and operation of this CRPS is set out in Decree No. 99-78 of 5 February 1999 (codified in 2011). |
2004 | February 2004: publication of the Wealth code. Law no. 2004-809 of 13 August 2004 on local freedoms and responsibilities.Transfers to the regions and the territorial collectivity of Corsica of the responsibility for the conduct of the general inventory of cultural heritage and services, and, to the collectivities who request it, the ownership of certain historical monuments of the State. Experimentation of the decentralization of credits: only the Lot department will do this experimentation. Transfer of credits from the PRNP. |
2005 | Order no. 2005-1128 of 8 September 2005 on historical monuments and protected areas. The reform of the law on historic monuments is under way. |
2007 | General Decree No. 2007-487 of 30 March 2007 on Historical Monuments and Architectural, Urban and Landscape Heritage Protection Areas (codified in 2011). |
2011 | Decree no. 2011-574 of 24 May 2011 relating to the regulatory part of the Wealth code (Books I to VI). |
2014 | Government Instruction of 25 March 2014 on the national regulation of advertising, signs and pretenses in which are specified the firm or relative prohibitions concerning advertising on or around historical monuments. Decree no. 2014-1299 of 23 October 2014 on exceptions to the application of the principle of “silence means acceptance” on the basis of Article 21 II of Law No. 2000-321 of 12 April 2000 on the rights of citizens in their relations with the administrations as well as exceptions to the two-month period of birth implicit decisions based on the II of this article (Ministry of Housing, Equality of Territories and Rurality). Decree no. 2014-1314 of 31 October 2014 simplifying the works regime for buildings that are attached to historic monuments or located in their field of visibility and adaptation of the administrative organization in the field of heritage. Decree no. 2014-1635 of 26 December 2014 on the regulatory part of the code of expropriation for reasons of public utility. |
2015 | Order of 23 March 2015 laying down certain requirements for harmonizing derogatory pre-signs in force since 13 July 2015. Decree no. 2015-1461 of 10 November 2015 on exceptions to the application of the “silence” principle as well as exceptions to the two-month time limit for implicit decisions for acts of local authorities and their public establishments on the basis of Article 21 II of Law No. 2000-321 of 12 April 2000 on the rights of citizens in their relations with the administrations. This Order in Council changes somewhat the time limits provided for by the Decree no. 2014-1299 of 23 October 2014. |
2016 |
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2018 | Law no. 2018-202 of 26 March 2018 on the organization of Jthey olympics and p2024 Aralympics. 9 April 2018: Experimentation of a right of derogation granted to the prefect. The Decree no. 2018-512 of 26 June 2018 implementing Articles 10 and 15 of Law no. 2018-202 of 26 March 2018 on the organization of the Jthey olympics and p2024 Aralympics adapts the rules concerning the construction of temporary infrastructures around historical monuments. The Decree no. 2018-510 of 26 June 2018 made for the application of Articles 4 and 5 of Law no. 2018-202 of 26 March 2018 on the organization of Jthey olympics and p2024 Aralympics specifies the rules concerning advertising and authorisations for displays on buildings classified or listed as historic monuments. Law no. 2018-1021 of 23 November 2018 on the development of housing, development and digital technology known as the “ELAN” law. |
2019 | April 15, 2019: Circular - Management of movable cultural property of public interest belonging to theState in administrations. This circular identifies the movable cultural property of public interest concerned by the operations of proofing within the administrations and recalls the rules of management of these assets as well as those relating to the maintenance of annual inventories.
This decree amends the provisions relating to the procedure of perimeter delimited of the approaches of historical monuments in order to take into account the possibility for the competent authority in matter of local planning, document in lieu of or municipal map to propose these perimeters. It also specifies the conditions under which the competent authority may propose a draft decision to the architect of the Buildings of France and provides for access to a mediator in the context of the applicant’s appeal against the opinion of the architect of the France. It also introduces an exemption from compulsory recourse to the architect for cooperatives for the use of agricultural equipment (CUMA) for constructions whose floor area or ground area does not exceed 800 m².
It sets up the national subscription to raise public or private funds to finance the restoration and conservation of the cathedral with tax reduction schemes. It also allows the creation of a monitoring committee to ensure the proper use of these funds and a public institution responsible for designing and carrying out the restoration and conservation work of the cathedral.
The decree specifies the content of the missions of the public institution responsible for the conservation and restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris and defines the conditions of appointment of its leaders, their powers and the composition and powers of its board of directors. It shall specify the arrangements for appointing the members of the Scientific Council and shall define the rules for the organization and operation of the Working Committee. It establishes a committee of donors whose members are appointed by the president of the institution according to the categories, conditions and modalities determined by deliberation of the board of directors. It contains transitional and final provisions relating in particular to the conditions for the automatic substitution of the State of establishment in the rights and obligations resulting from contracts and agreements concluded before its creation. |