Sources for the history of construction sites

Any work on a historic monument requires gathering useful information on previous restorations or interventions. This preliminary research is essential for establishing a project regardless of its size and complexity.

The Ministry of Culture has many resources concerning historical monuments.

These are accessible on site in the various services, in paper format, in digital format or online.
These resources are at the disposal of the services but also of the owners, the project owners and the project owners. These data may have different levels of specialisation depending on the type of assets or the tasks of the producer department.

The Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) can direct the owner or his supervisor on the available resources, whatever their place of conservation.

Prior research on a historical monument (building, furniture object or organ) is made accessible by databases Mérimée, Palissy, Memory, Mediathek (or the search engine Collections), but it must be supplemented by the consultation of documentation and archives in paper format.

The information given should be updated regularly in line with developments and improvements in the websites presented.

Synopsis

Local resources

Regional Cultural Affairs Directorate (DRAC) resources
The DRAC have, in their various departments, current archives and documentation in paper format and in the form of databases. These resources are available under certain conditions of availability and confidentiality from the services, which have, as the case may be, documentation centres open to the public.
Heiresses of the old conservations of the Buildings of France… Read more
In the departments, the departmental and municipal archives
The most useful series of the Departmental Archives are the G series (secular clergy), H series (regular clergy), V series (cults), O series (municipal collections), T series (in particular the 4T sub-series, Cultural Affairs, 1800-1940) and the equivalent collections in the municipal archives. Documents after 1940… Read more
In Regional Councils
All the documentary files made up by the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage (IPCRS) services are available for consultation in the services of the regional councils. Most of them (the proportion is variable… Read more

Specific national resources on historical monuments

The Media Library of Architecture and Heritage (MAP)
The Historical Monuments Research Laboratory (LRMH)
The Museum of Relief Plans (MPR)
National Monuments Centre (NMC)

The Archives of France and the National Archives

Databases and search engines

Specialized bibliographic or archival resources – access to digital libraries

Resources by subject matter

Conservation-restoration
Architecture, civil engineering and town planning
National museums
Painting, stained-glass windows, sculpture, works of art, musical instruments
Other specialized resources