The historical monuments

This “Historic Monument” status is a recognition by the Nation of the interest heritage of a property. This protection implies a shared responsibility between owners and the national community for its conservation and transmission to future generations.

Since the 2000s, the legislative and regulatory regime for historic monuments has undergone profound changes.

Since 2009, the owner of a historic monument has been the owner of the work undertaken there. It is for this purpose to define the programmes for maintenance, restoration or modification operations, to choose a supervisor (for buildings or organs) and businesses and restaurants which will be responsible for the interventions, to ensure the financing and to solicit the assistance of the State, the local authorities or other partners (patrons and foundations…).

This full and complete responsibility of the owner is however accompanied by very precise rules for the authorization and implementation of the works which are also the subject of the scientific and technical inspection of the State by the historical monuments services of the Ministry of Culture (regional cultural affairs directorates).

The Ministry of Culture is also directly responsible, through its decentralised services and public institutions, for the maintenance and conservation of large historical monuments of the State such as the cathedrals and the national areas for which he is responsible.

A protection strategy

As regards the inscription or classification of historic monuments, one of the national priorities is the revision of old, sometimes partial or mixed, protections in order to reinforce the coherence of protection and to simplify, for the owner and services of the State, the management of the historical monument.

Thematic protection campaigns are implemented by regional cultural affairs directorates (regional conservations of historical monuments) such as the lighthouses of the coasts of France, the memory of the war of 1914-1918, the Atlantic Wall or the heritage of the 20th century, calling attention to certain components of heritage.

Consult the criteria and evolution of the buildings and of movable objects

A conservation strategy

For a long time, a condition of buildings protected under historic monuments is published periodically on the basis of assessments carried out periodically by the departments responsible for historic monuments. Since 2007, it has been communicated to Parliament and since 2018, it has been posted online. Public or private owners are encouraged to scale up maintenance programmes, and regional management is invited to devote 15% of the total annual budget.

Consult the Historical Monuments Health Check – 2013-2018

On average, the budget allocated by the State to the maintenance and restoration of historic monuments reaches nearly €300 million in payment credits, excluding major projects, such as the Grand Palais or the Château de Villers-Côterêts. Every year, between 6,000 and 7,000 works, outside public institutions, are carried out on historic monuments (buildings or movable objects). 10% of the operations concern movable objects, of which 2% are organs.

Consult the balance sheet of appropriations devoted to the conservation of historic monuments - Balance sheet 2019

According to the studies on the economic and social impacts of heritage, the restoration and opening to the public of historic monuments represent several hundred thousand direct and indirect jobs, mainly local jobs spread over the entire national territory, jobs of very high competence.

Consult the section actors and businesses

The policy in favour of historic monuments also includes numerous actions to enhance the physical and intangible elements of heritage. From the traditional guided tour to the “Historic Monuments Open Days” founded in 1984 and now “European Heritage Days”, from the first “sounds and lights” in the 1950s to volunteer sites, from the presence in the places of artists and holders of know-how to immersive and virtual visits, the means of valorization have not ceased to renew themselves.

The opening and animation of historical monuments promote the general public’s appropriation of «national heritage». The development of heritage and its reuse contributes to local and social development and to the tourism economy, cultural identity and the attractiveness of the territories and thus to the influence of France.