Monument Historique
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some
national heritage site A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a heritage registe ...
s in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, a garden, a bridge, or other structure, because of their importance to France's architectural and historical cultural heritage. Both public and privately owned structures may be listed in this way, as well as movable objects. As of 2012 there were 44,236 monuments listed. The term "classification" is reserved for designation performed by the French
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...
for a monument of national-level significance. Monuments of lesser significance may be "inscribed" by various regional entities. Buildings may be given the classification (or inscription) for either their exteriors or interiors. A monument's designation could be for a building's décor, its furniture, a single room, or even a staircase. An example is the ''monument historique'' classification of the décor in the café "''Deux Garçons''" in
Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...
whose patrons once included
Alphonse de Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...
,
Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...
and
Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically d ...
. Some buildings are designated because of their connection to a single personality, such as the
Auberge Ravoux The Auberge Ravoux is a French historic landmark located in the heart of the village of Auvers-sur-Oise. It is known as the House of Van Gogh (''Maison de Van Gogh'') because the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life ...
in Auvers-sur-Oise which is designated an MH because of its connection to the painter
Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
. Since the 1990s, a significant number of places have been given the designation because of their historical importance to science. The MH designation traces its roots to the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
when the government appointed
Alexandre Lenoir Marie Alexandre Lenoir (27 December 1761 – 11 June 1839) was a French archaeologist. Self-taught, he devoted himself to saving France's historic monuments, sculptures and tombs from the ravages of the French Revolution, notably those of Saint-D ...
to specify and safeguard certain structures. Though the first classifications were given in the 19th century by the writer
Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...
, inspector-general of historical monuments, by a first list established in 1840. In 1851, Mérimée organized the
Missions Héliographiques Missions Héliographiques was a 19th-century project to photograph landmarks and monuments around France so that they could be restored. The project was established by Prosper Mérimée, France's Inspector General of Historical Monuments and autho ...
to document France's medieval architecture. A "monument historique" may be marked by the official logo for the program, signage for which is distributed by the , a union of French historical restoration associations. It consists of a design representing the labyrinth that used to be in Reims Cathedral, which is itself a
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. Use of the logo is optional.


Terminology

The notion of historical monument, sparked by both the ideas of the French Revolution and Romanticism, led to a policy of protection founded by the July Monarchy. This is a recognition of public interest for buildings (buildings, gardens and parks, archaeological reserves, etc.) which more specifically concerns the art and history attached to the monument and constitutes a public utility easement. There are two levels of protection: ''registration as historical monuments'' (formerly known as "registration in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments"), for furniture and buildings of regional interest, and the ''classification as historical monuments'' to a level of national interest. Usually, places (in the first case) are said to be "registered," and objects are said to be "classified." The two protections can also apply to movable objects (either furniture proper, or buildings by destination) of historical, artistic, technical, etc. interest. under the name of ''classification under object title'' or (rarer) of ''registration under object title'' as well as for the census. Long subject to the provisions of the law of 31 December 1913, classification and registration are now governed by Title II of Book VI of the Heritage Code and can take 15 to 18 months (legislative part and regulatory part) to fully enshrine a place or object. From a legal point of view, this protection constitutes an official French label.


History


Genesis

The "National Properties" (Biens nationaux), created in the wake of the nationalization of Church property (Decree of the clergy property made available to the Nation of 2 November 1789), emigrants (Decree of 9 November 1791) and the crown of France (Decree of 10 August 1792), have had varying fortunes. Some were appropriated by the state due to popular vindictiveness, giving rise to the notion of vandalism invented by the
Abbé Grégoire ''Abbé'' (from Latin ''abbas'', in turn from Greek , ''abbas'', from Aramaic ''abba'', a title of honour, literally meaning "the father, my father", emphatic state of ''abh'', "father") is the French word for an abbot. It is the title for lowe ...
in a report presented to the Convention on 31 August 1794 on "the destruction carried out by vandalism and the means of recovering it". Other properties have been kept by the state and have changed functions (prisons such as Maguelone, Clairvaux,
Mont-Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and i ...
), but the greater part were sold to individuals, often to serve as a quarry for building materials and have disappeared (
Abbey of Cluny Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with three churche ...
,
Vézelay Abbey Vézelay Abbey (french: Abbaye Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay) is a Benedictine and Cluniac monastery in Vézelay in the east-central French department of Yonne. It was constructed between 1120 and 1150. The Benedictine abbey church, now the B ...
, etc.). In 1790, Aubin Louis Millin spoke for the first time of "historical monument" in a report submitted to the
Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
on the occasion of the demolition of the
Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stor ...
. The phrase "Historic monument" thus became symbolic of the pre-revolutionary era, the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for ...
. The idea of preserving a site linked to the Ancien Régime circulated, and the Assembly, under the impetus of Talleyrand, adopted the decree of 13 October 1790, which created the Commission of Monuments, whose role is to study "the fate of monuments, arts and sciences." In 1791,
Alexandre Lenoir Marie Alexandre Lenoir (27 December 1761 – 11 June 1839) was a French archaeologist. Self-taught, he devoted himself to saving France's historic monuments, sculptures and tombs from the ravages of the French Revolution, notably those of Saint-D ...
was appointed to create the Museum of French Monuments, opened in 1795, in which he gathered the fragments of architecture that he had managed to save from destruction over the previous several years. But this museum was closed by
Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in ...
under the ordinance of 24 April 1816, during the
Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...
, and its collections, which were to be returned "to families and churches," were ultimately dispersed from state control. The vandalism of the French built environment that accompanied the anticlerical nature of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
subsequently inspired numerous responses, particularly ones tinged with nostalgia and romanticism; for example, either Chateaubriand or
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
published in 1825 a pamphlet, ''War for Demolition''. The protection of historic monuments necessarily involves the creation of an inventory, and from 1795 onward the council of civil buildings completed the inventory of the castles that
Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
had started. In 1820, Baron Taylor and
Charles Nodier Jean Charles Emmanuel Nodier (29 April 1780 – 27 January 1844) was a French author and librarian who introduced a younger generation of Romanticists to the ''conte fantastique'', gothic literature, and vampire tales. His dream related writings ...
published their ''Picturesque and Romantic Voyages in Ancient France,'' at the time when the first archaeological societies in the country were being formed. The ''Celtic Academy'' was founded in 1804 by Éloi Johanneau and others, who met for the first time on 3 Ventôse year XIII (22 February 1805). This first association was to be devoted only to the study of the
Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...
, but quickly its members became interested in national antiquities. As early as 1811,
Roquefort Roquefort is a sheep milk cheese from Southern France, and is one of the world's best known blue cheeses. Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, EU law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur ...
proposed to change the name of the society to give it one more in line with its activity. The new statutes as well as the new one of the company, ''Société des antiquaires de France,'' were adopted on 29 October 1813.
Arcisse de Caumont Arcisse de Caumont (20 August 1801, Bayeux – 16 April 1873) was a French historian and archaeologist. Biography Arcisse Caumont was born at Bayeux to François de Caumont and Marie-Louise de Mathan Hue. One of his mentors was Charles de Gervil ...
founded the ''Society of Antiquaries of Normandy'' in 1824, and the ''French Society of Archeology'' in 1834. The ''Archaeological Society of the South of France'' was founded by
Alexandre Du Mège Louis Charles André Alexandre Du Mège or Dumège, (The Hague (Netherlands) 5 December 1780 – Toulouse 6 June 1862), was a French scholar, archaeologist and historian. Life and work Du Mège was born in The Hague on 5 December 1780. His fath ...
in 1831. In 1834 the ''Société des Antiquaires de l'Ouest'' was founded in Poitiers by Charles Mangon de La Lande from members of the ''Academic Society of Agriculture, Belles Lettres, Sciences and Arts of Poitiers,'' itself founded in 1818. Other societies would follow in the various departements such as the Société des antiquaires de Picardie à Amiens. In turn, the ''Committee for Historical and Scientific Work'' was founded by François Guizot in 1834 to direct research and support that of various learned societies.


Creation of the ''Monuments historiques'', 1819-80

In 1819, for the first time, the budget of the Ministry of the Interior included an allowance of 80,000 francs for “historical monuments,” about one-fifteenth of the total sum. Under the
July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 F ...
, on 21 October 1830, the Minister of the Interior, François Guizot proposed in a report presented to King
Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...
to create the post of Inspector of Historic Monuments which he assigned to
Ludovic Vitet Ludovic Vitet (18 October 18025 June 1873) was a French dramatist and politician. Early life and career Ludovic Vitet was born in Paris. He came from a wealthy bourgeois family, as the grandson of former member of the National Convention Louis V ...
on 25 November 1830, then reassigned to
Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...
on 27 May 1834. The mission of the Inspector of Historic Monuments was to classify the buildings and to distribute the funds for maintenance and restoration. On 29 September 1837, the Minister of the Interior, the Count of Montalivet, officially established the Commission for Historic Monuments (''Commission des monuments historiques''), succeeding the former Committee for the Arts. Composed of seven volunteers and chaired by Jean Vatout, the Director of Public monuments, the new Commission carried out inventory and classification work (classification on the basis of political considerations then emphasizing around 1835 sites primarily of historical interest only, expanded from 1841 to include those for their architectural quality) and the allocation of funding. It was also responsible for training architects who work on monuments (starting with Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc). In 1840, the Commission published its first list, composed of 1082 historical monuments, including 934 buildings. This list consisted only of prehistoric monuments and ancient and medieval buildings (those constructed between the 5th and 16th centuries), which predictably included many religious buildings, but also objects that today might be termed broadly "material culture," such as the Bayeux Tapestry. All of these sites were and remain properties of the State, the department or the municipality in which they are located, the conservation of which requires work (and therefore funds). Subsequently, the Commission continued its inventory work, and the historical monuments increased in number and the area of protection widened in three directions: chronological, categorical (that is, towards vernacular architecture), and typological or conceptual (towards the protection of buildings representing a particular type—i.e., the ''typicum''—and no longer just the unique structure or ''unicum''). Thus for this purpose, in 1851 the Commission created the Mission Héliographique, responsible for photographing French monuments, one of the earliest and most significant widespread and systematic uses of
photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
, one of whose chief employees was Édouard-Denis Baldus. However, local authorities, the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and the
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...
were reluctant to recognize the prerogatives of the State over their heritage; furthermore, the classification of monuments that were privately owned required the owners' consent. These obstacles explain why the number of monuments classified annually actually decreased from 2,800 in 1848 to 1,563 in 1873.


Development and Expansion, 1880-1930

The law of 30 March 1887, for the conservation of historic monuments, enumerated for the first time the specific criteria and procedure for official classification of monuments. It also contains provisions establishing the body of chief architects of historic monuments (or ACMH, drawing inspiration from the situation of diocesan architects in the Service des Edifices Diocésains—a state agency designed for the specific upkeep of church properties—and gradually replacing local architects) established by decree of 26 January 1892. In 1893 the first competition of the ACMH took place, and finally in 1907 a decree permanently enshrined their legal status. Proposed by the Minister of Public Education Aristide Briand, the law of April 21, 1906, on the protection of natural sites and monuments of artistic character, resulted from the action carried out among others by the Society of Friends of Trees (founded in 1898 by Julien-François Jeannel), the French Alpine Club, the Society for the Protection of Landscapes and the aesthetics of France, and the Touring Club of France, which had all protested vigorously against the effects of industrialization. the 1906 law laid down the principle of classification of picturesque natural sites. Under the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State, local communities and the state were entrusted with the responsibility of the religious buildings, but certain communes refused to take charge of some of these buildings, which were not considered to be of "national interest," while other localities did not hesitate to auction off their heritage, which caused scandals and revealed the weaknesses of the legislative texts of 1887. The law of December 31, 1913, on historic monuments complemented and improved the provisions of the 1887 law, widening the field of protection of the classification criteria (to properties whose conservation no longer responds simply to the notion of “national interest” but to that of “public interest,” which also takes into account the small local heritage classification extended to private property without needing the consent of the owner, a prelude to registration in the additional inventory), defining the obligatory actors, establishing criminal and civil sanctions in the event of unauthorized work on listed monuments, etc. That same year, the Commission of Historic Monuments also accepted four castles dating from later than the Middle Ages:
Luxembourg Palace The Luxembourg Palace (french: Palais du Luxembourg, ) is at 15 Rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally built (1615–1645) to the designs of the French architect Salomon de Brosse to be the royal residence of th ...
,
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
, Maisons-Laffitte, and the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
. At the end of 1911, more than 4,000 buildings and 14,000 objects were classified. During the 1920s and 1930s, the classification opened up to private heritage, which created an easement which was then considered as a deprivation of property (see on this subject the
Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans The Saline Royale (Royal Saltworks) is a historical building at Arc-et-Senans in the Departments of France, department of Doubs, Eastern France. It is next to the Forest of Chaux and 29.2 kilometres (18.1 miles) to the southwest of Besançon. The ...
in 1926), but which was then compensated by the subsidization of works, then by tax advantages. It also opens up to the Renaissance and the age of neoclassicism, roughly from the 16th to the 18th century (e.g., the Church of St. Genevieve of Paris in 1920). There was also the acceptance, timidly, of eclectic architecture of the 19th century: the classification in 1923 of the
Opera Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...
. With the abandonment of the sites by the military following
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Renaissance and neoclassical military architecture began to be classified as well. Finally, it was during this period that a sort of second-order classification was invented: the “inscription in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments”, in 1925, which in 2005 became the “inscription under the title of historic monuments.”


Extension and Evolution of Protections (since 1930)

The law of May 2, 1930, which replaced that of 1906, consolidated the procedures for classifying built monuments on the one hand, and that of sites and natural spaces, by creating the category of "classified site and registered site." It also introduced the possibility of classifying as a site an area located near a listed or registered building. The protection of classified natural sites is currently governed by the Environment Code. The law of February 25, 1943, modifying the law of December 31, 1913, clarifies these provisions by introducing a field of vision of 500 meters. The law of 1943 indeed considers that a monument is also the impression that its surroundings give. This is why the law imposes a form of vigilance with regard to work projects in the field of visibility of historic monuments. Numerous classifications are made during the
Occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...
, in order to prevent destruction by the occupier, but also to make the people in charge of protection work partly in order to escape the compulsory labor service in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. The
Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "'' ...
was listed as a historical monument by decree of June 24, 1964. After the Second World War and the massive destruction due to the German bombings of 1940 and the Allies of 1944 and 1945, and the economic boom of the
Thirty Glorious Years ''Les Trente Glorieuses'' (; 'The Glorious Thirty') was a thirty-year period of economic growth in France between 1945 and 1975, following the end of the Second World War. The name was first used by the French demographer Jean Fourastié, who ...
during which destruction continues to rebuild something new, the protection in reaction changes scale. On October 4, 1962, a new law empowered the Minister of Culture
André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed by P ...
to safeguard sectors of towns that were first created by the decree of March 4, 1964. As a result, the service of the General Inventory of monuments and artistic riches of France does not list only singular historical monuments. Meanwhile, historic buildings open to civil architecture sixteenth to the eighteenth century, the vernacular and native architecture starting with the Palais idéal du facteur Cheval, in 1969, and the monumental architecture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This is when a few of those monuments were entered or classified: * the Eiffel Tower (1887-1889), inscribed in 1964 * the
Villa Savoye Villa Savoye () is a modernist villa and gatelodge in Poissy, on the outskirts of Paris. It was designed by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, and built between 1928 and 1931 using reinforced concrete.Courlan ...
(1929-1931), listed in 1965 * the Notre-Dame-du-Haut chapel in
Ronchamp Ronchamp () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is located between the Vosges and the Jura mountains. Mining Museum Mining began in Ronchamp in the mid-18th century and h ...
(1950-1955), listed in 1965 and then classified in 1967 * the Notre-Dame du Raincy church (1922-1923), listed in 1966 * the Villa Stein (1927-1928), inscribed in 1975 * the
Unité d'Habitation {{Infobox company , name = Moldtelecom , logo = , type = JSC , foundation = 1 April 1993 , location = Chişinău, Moldova , key_people = Alexandru Ciubuc CEO interim , num_employees = 2,750 employees As of 2019 , industry = Telecommunica ...
(or Cité Radieuse) of Marseilles (1945-1952), classified in 1995 * the Church of the Sacred Heart of Audincourt (1949-1951), classified in 1996 * the Notre-Dame-de-Any-Grâce church on the Assy plateau, classified in 2004 Metallic architecture took a long time to be recognized and classified: Les Halles by
Victor Baltard Victor Baltard (9 June 180513 January 1874) was a French architect famed for work in Paris including designing Les Halles market and the Saint-Augustin church. Life Victor was born in Paris, son of architect Louis-Pierre Baltard and attended Lyc ...
were destroyed between 1969 and 1971 (only one pavilion was classified as a historical monument and was reassembled in
Nogent-sur-Marne Nogent-sur-Marne () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Nogent-sur-Marne is a '' sous-préfecture'' of the Val-de-Marne ''département'', being the seat of the Arrondissement of Nogent-s ...
in 1977, outside its context of origin), the
Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
by
Henri Labrouste Pierre-François-Henri Labrouste () (11 May 1801 – 24 June 1875) was a French architect from the famous École des Beaux-Arts school of architecture. After a six-year stay in Rome, Labrouste established an architectural training worksh ...
was not registered until 1988.
Archives An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...
, which are collection of documents, were eligible to be classified as "historical monuments," until the passage of a 1979 law on archives. This established a specific regime (currently codified in book II of the heritage code), which is, however, inspired by much of the regime of historical monuments. The end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s saw the beginning of the protection of the industrial heritage, both the architecture (the mill of the Menier chocolate factory by Jules Saulnier in
Noisiel Noisiel () is a commune in the French department of Seine-et-Marne, administrative region of Île-de-France. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris. The commune of Noisiel is part of the Val Maubuée sector, o ...
was classified in 1992) and the machines (the automobile collection Schlumpf was classified in 1978 to avoid its dispersion). At the same time the mission of maritime and fluvial heritage, with the classification of lighthouses, beacons, river cranes, then boats (the first of these were the three-masted ''Duchesse Anne'' and the barge ''Mad-Atao'' in 1982), etc. Also protected are historic villages: Joan of Arc's birthplace (classified from 1840) or that of Napoleon I, the wall of Federated, Oradour-sur-Glane (ranked May 10, 1946), etc.; and gardens: around 1920 the parks of Versailles and Fontainebleau were listed, as was that of Azay-le-Rideau around 1930. Other monuments, reflections of French Art Nouveau (in particular the movement of the Ecole de Nancy) were also listed at the end of the 1990s, mainly in Nancy. To accentuate this visibility, the label "Heritage 20th century" was created in 1999, automatically assigned to all the historical monuments built during the 20th century, but the present buildings in ZPPAUP or offered for regional commission heritage and architecture. The name “additional inventory of historic monuments” was replaced by “registration as historical monuments” in 2005.


Historical distribution and statistics

As of 1 February 2015, there were 43,600 buildings protected as historical monuments in France (14,100 classified and 29,500 registered), as well as around 300,000 movable objects (more than 135,000 classified and around 150,000 registered) to which it is necessary to add 1,400 musical organs. 49.4% of historical monuments are private property; the municipalities own 55.82%, versus 5.67% for the State and 3.6% for other local authorities. A third of historical monuments concern domestic architecture, 29.6% are religious buildings. They were broken down in 2014 as follows: * 3.82% of monuments from prehistory and protohistory; * 1.65% of monuments of Antiquity; * 32.67% of monuments from the Middle Ages; * 44.24% of monuments from modern times and * 17.62% of monuments from the contemporary period. As of 31 December 2008, there were 43,180 monuments distributed as follows: 14,367 classified and 28,813 registered as historical monuments, 323 additional compared to 2007, 44,236 in 2012 and 44,318 in 2014.. But the control of the architect of the buildings of France is also exercised by the means of the requirement, since 1977, of his agreement on the permit to demolish buildings located in the perimeters protected for their patrimonial or environmental interest (sites registered, etc.), as well as since 1943 on all works located in covisibility and, henceforth, in the vicinity of historical monuments by virtue of the provisions of Article L. 621-30.II of the Heritage Code, or in remarkable heritage sites (former sectors saved) since 1964. In reality, there are therefore several hundred thousand existing buildings, if not several million, which are directly or indirectly protected in France by a rigorous aesthetic and heritage control, during any work on them. Faced with the sharp increase in the number of historical monuments, some authors such as Françoise Choay consider that the historic monument has become a kind of Noah syndrome: the State continues to register historical monuments in greater quantity than what it can actually occupy. Currently, the restoration credits allocated by the Ministry of Culture are decentralized in the DRACs or managed by the Operator of heritage and real estate projects for culture.


Statistics

The following graphs summarize the number of classification and registration as historical monuments by decade, since 1840.
Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:back value:rgb(1,1,1) id:bars value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:550 height:400 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:2300 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:100 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:back BarData= bar:1840 text:1840 bar:1850 text:1850 bar:1860 text:1860 bar:1870 text:1870 bar:1880 text:1880 bar:1890 text:1890 bar:1900 text:1900 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1940 text:1940 bar:1950 text:1950 bar:1960 text:1960 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 PlotData= color:bars width:25 align:left bar:1840 from:0 till:685 bar:1850 from:0 till:11 bar:1860 from:0 till:584 bar:1870 from:0 till:141 bar:1880 from:0 till:655 bar:1890 from:0 till:201 bar:1900 from:0 till:1089 bar:1910 from:0 till:1590 bar:1920 from:0 till:2215 bar:1930 from:0 till:1178 bar:1940 from:0 till:1003 bar:1950 from:0 till:598 bar:1960 from:0 till:874 bar:1970 from:0 till:1105 bar:1980 from:0 till:1449 bar:1990 from:0 till:1401 bar:2000 from:0 till:582 bar:2010 from:0 till:552 PlotData= bar:1840 at:685 fontsize:S text:685 shift:(-8,5) bar:1850 at:11 fontsize:S text:11 shift:(-5,5) bar:1860 at:584 fontsize:S text:584 shift:(-8,5) bar:1870 at:141 fontsize:S text:141 shift:(-8,5) bar:1880 at:655 fontsize:S text:655 shift:(-8,5) bar:1890 at:201 fontsize:S text:201 shift:(-8,5) bar:1900 at:1089 fontsize:S text:1089 shift:(-12,5) bar:1910 at:1590 fontsize:S text:1590 shift:(-12,5) bar:1920 at:2215 fontsize:S text:2215 shift:(-12,5) bar:1930 at:1178 fontsize:S text:1178 shift:(-12,5) bar:1940 at:1003 fontsize:S text:1003 shift:(-12,5) bar:1950 at:598 fontsize:S text:598 shift:(-8,5) bar:1960 at:874 fontsize:S text:874 shift:(-8,5) bar:1970 at:1105 fontsize:S text:1105 shift:(-12,5) bar:1980 at:1449 fontsize:S text:1449 shift:(-12,5) bar:1990 at:1401 fontsize:S text:1401 shift:(-12,5) bar:2000 at:582 fontsize:S text:582 shift:(-8,5) bar:2010 at:552 fontsize:S text:552 shift:(-8,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(19,32) text:Nombre de classements au titre des monuments historiques par décennie Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:back value:rgb(1,1,1) id:bars value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:550 height:400 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:6000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:back BarData= bar:1840 text:1840 bar:1850 text:1850 bar:1860 text:1860 bar:1870 text:1870 bar:1880 text:1880 bar:1890 text:1890 bar:1900 text:1900 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1940 text:1940 bar:1950 text:1950 bar:1960 text:1960 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 PlotData= color:bars width:25 align:left bar:1840 from:0 till:1 bar:1850 from:0 till:0 bar:1860 from:0 till:1 bar:1870 from:0 till:0 bar:1880 from:0 till:0 bar:1890 from:0 till:0 bar:1900 from:0 till:0 bar:1910 from:0 till:2 bar:1920 from:0 till:5925 bar:1930 from:0 till:2830 bar:1940 from:0 till:3040 bar:1950 from:0 till:1374 bar:1960 from:0 till:1911 bar:1970 from:0 till:3588 bar:1980 from:0 till:4685 bar:1990 from:0 till:5408 bar:2000 from:0 till:3412 bar:2010 from:0 till:3531 PlotData= bar:1840 at:1 fontsize:S text:1 shift:(-2,5) bar:1850 at:0 fontsize:S text:0 shift:(-2,5) bar:1860 at:1 fontsize:S text:1 shift:(-2,5) bar:1870 at:0 fontsize:S text:0 shift:(-2,5) bar:1880 at:0 fontsize:S text:0 shift:(-2,5) bar:1890 at:0 fontsize:S text:0 shift:(-2,5) bar:1900 at:0 fontsize:S text:0 shift:(-2,5) bar:1910 at:2 fontsize:S text:2 shift:(-2,5) bar:1920 at:5925 fontsize:S text:5925 shift:(-12,5) bar:1930 at:2830 fontsize:S text:2830 shift:(-12,5) bar:1940 at:3040 fontsize:S text:3040 shift:(-12,5) bar:1950 at:1374 fontsize:S text:1374 shift:(-12,5) bar:1960 at:1911 fontsize:S text:1911 shift:(-12,5) bar:1970 at:3588 fontsize:S text:3588 shift:(-12,5) bar:1980 at:4685 fontsize:S text:4685 shift:(-12,5) bar:1990 at:5408 fontsize:S text:5408 shift:(-12,5) bar:2000 at:3412 fontsize:S text:3412 shift:(-12,5) bar:2010 at:3531 fontsize:S text:3531 shift:(-12,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(19,32) text:Nombre d'inscriptions au titre des monuments historiques par décennie Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:back value:rgb(1,1,1) id:bars value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:550 height:400 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:8200 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:back BarData= bar:1840 text:1840 bar:1850 text:1850 bar:1860 text:1860 bar:1870 text:1870 bar:1880 text:1880 bar:1890 text:1890 bar:1900 text:1900 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1940 text:1940 bar:1950 text:1950 bar:1960 text:1960 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 PlotData= color:bars width:25 align:left bar:1840 from:0 till:686 bar:1850 from:0 till:11 bar:1860 from:0 till:585 bar:1870 from:0 till:141 bar:1880 from:0 till:655 bar:1890 from:0 till:201 bar:1900 from:0 till:1089 bar:1910 from:0 till:1592 bar:1920 from:0 till:8140 bar:1930 from:0 till:4008 bar:1940 from:0 till:4043 bar:1950 from:0 till:1972 bar:1960 from:0 till:2785 bar:1970 from:0 till:4693 bar:1980 from:0 till:6134 bar:1990 from:0 till:6809 bar:2000 from:0 till:3994 bar:2010 from:0 till:4083 PlotData= bar:1840 at:686 fontsize:S text:686 shift:(-8,5) bar:1850 at:11 fontsize:S text:11 shift:(-5,5) bar:1860 at:585 fontsize:S text:585 shift:(-8,5) bar:1870 at:141 fontsize:S text:141 shift:(-8,5) bar:1880 at:655 fontsize:S text:655 shift:(-8,5) bar:1890 at:201 fontsize:S text:201 shift:(-8,5) bar:1900 at:1089 fontsize:S text:1089 shift:(-12,5) bar:1910 at:1592 fontsize:S text:1592 shift:(-12,5) bar:1920 at:8140 fontsize:S text:8140 shift:(-12,5) bar:1930 at:4008 fontsize:S text:4008 shift:(-12,5) bar:1940 at:4043 fontsize:S text:4043 shift:(-12,5) bar:1950 at:1972 fontsize:S text:1972 shift:(-12,5) bar:1960 at:2785 fontsize:S text:2785 shift:(-12,5) bar:1970 at:4693 fontsize:S text:4693 shift:(-12,5) bar:1980 at:6134 fontsize:S text:6134 shift:(-12,5) bar:1990 at:6809 fontsize:S text:6809 shift:(-12,5) bar:2000 at:3994 fontsize:S text:3994 shift:(-12,5) bar:2010 at:4083 fontsize:S text:4083 shift:(-12,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(19,32) text:Nombre de classements et d'inscriptions au titre des monuments historiques par décennie


Institutions Relating to Heritage Protection


Architecture and Heritage Media Library

The Architecture and Heritage Media Library (MAP) is responsible for collecting, conserving and communicating the archives and documentation of the administration of historic monuments since its creation in 1830 and the State's photographic heritage, comprising more than four million prints and fifteen million negatives dating back to the origins of photography and including those relating to historical monuments. To this end, the MAP is made up of four scientific departments: archives and library, documentation, photography and the Center for Research on Historical Monuments (CRMH) and has three sites in
Île-de-France , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 = +01:00 , timezone1_DST = CEST , utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 , blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product , blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st , bla ...
: the main site of the media library, installed in
Charenton-le-Pont Charenton-le-Pont () is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, to the north of the confluence of the Seine and Marne rivers; the () part of the name refers to the stone bridge across ...
in its premises refurbished in April 2014; the
Fort de Saint-Cyr The Fort de Saint-Cyr, located in the commune of Montigny-le-Bretonneux, (Yvelines), is one of the forts built at the end of the 19th century to defend Paris. After the first world war the fort was used as an army weather station and arms depot. C ...
site for the photographic archives; and the documentation center of the Bons Enfants site near the ministry. In addition, the collection of models and materials (the material library) of the research center are hosted by the Chaillot school to serve as educational support for its students.


Historical monuments research laboratory

The historical monuments research laboratory (LRMH) is a service with national competence of the Ministry of Culture, attached to the service responsible for heritage within the General Directorate of Heritage. He is part of the Center for Research on Conservation (CRC), a team associated with USR 3224 of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) also made up of the Center for Research on the Conservation of Collections (CRCC) and the Conservation-Research of the Music Museum. The LRMH is responsible for carrying out scientific and technical studies as well as research on the conservation of buildings and cultural heritage objects protected as Historical Monuments. He studies the constituent materials and the alteration phenomena that compromise their conservation. He works on the treatments to be applied to altered works, as well as on the conservation conditions of the monuments and objects studied. It disseminates the results of its studies and research as widely as possible.


Protection

There are two levels of protection: * The "''classement au titre des monuments historiques''" is a national level of importance for the objects or buildings ; * The "''inscription au titre des monuments historiques''" is a
regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
level of importance for the objects or buildings (until 2005 formerly called "''inventaire supplémentaire des monuments historiques''", ISMH). These two levels of protection are determined after a thorough historical study by the
prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
for the
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
, or by the
Minister of Culture A culture minister or a heritage minister is a common cabinet position in governments. The culture minister is typically responsible for cultural policy, which often includes arts policy (direct and indirect support to artists and arts organizatio ...
for the national level. They are aided by the advice of a commission named .


Protection proposal

The buildings are classified or listed as historical monuments respectively according to the provisions of Articles L. 621-1 and L. 621-25 et seq. of the Heritage Code. The classification process can be proposed by the owner or any public actor (territorial architecture and heritage service which has become a departmental architecture and heritage unit, regional inventory service, etc.) or private (heritage conservation associations, for example), with the architect of buildings in France with territorial jurisdiction or the Regional Conservation of Historic Monuments attached to the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs. In the context of buildings or objects requiring an archaeological study or found during excavations, the regional archeology service can examine the file. The protection request file is generally made up by the documentary study officers of the Regional Conservation of Historic Monuments . The file must include a documentary part giving detailed information on the building (history, urban situation, legal, etc.) and photographic and cartographic documents. It also includes the opinions of the chief architect of historical monuments, of the architect of buildings of France and of the curator of historic monuments.


Establishment of protection for historical monuments

The protection file thus constituted is then submitted to the opinion of the regional commission for heritage and architecture (CRPA) chaired by the regional prefect. The prefect, according to the opinion of the commission, can issue a registration order, or refuse it. Whether the decree is taken or not, he can also choose, depending on the wish expressed by the commission or not, to send the file to the Ministry of Culture for classification. In the event that the file is submitted to the Minister, the National Heritage and Architecture Commission makes a decision and then has two possibilities: either it proposes the classification, or it proposes or confirms the registration if the building presented does not justify not a ranking. In the case of acceptance of the owner, the minister signs the order of ranking, prepared by the Regional Conservation of Historical Monuments concerned. The publication of the list of protected historic monuments in the course of one year is made in an issue of ''The Official Journal'' of the French Republic of the following year, but the protection is effective from the signing of the protection order. A registration order can be issued for a building without the agreement of the owner of the monument, unlike a classification order. In the event of refusal by the owner of the building or of the object that it is proposed to classify, the classification can be carried out ex officio by decree in Council of State. The registration of a movable object belonging to a private person cannot be made without his consent. In case of emergency (danger, safeguarding of heritage, etc.), a classification authority procedure can be set up by the administrative authority (minister or prefect). The administration then has a period of one year to set up the procedure, on the date of notification to the owner. Once the protection is effective, the Territorial Architecture and Heritage Service (STAP) takes over. The architect of buildings of France (ABF) is the privileged interlocutor with regard to the control of the application of the easements once the effective protection.


Constitution and conservation of the protection file

The protection file is created both in the case of registration and classification, throughout the examination of the file. It includes a historical file, summarizing the research carried out on the monument and justifying its protection (photographs showing the evolution of the monument, correspondence mentioning it, press articles, etc.) and an administrative file including the decree and the various stages protection. Finally, the file is archived and kept by the CRMH. These files are public and can be consulted, with the exception of confidential documents with regard to the law. A summary file for the work is also compiled, including the preliminary studies of the work and the documentary files of the works executed. They can also be viewed by the public once the work is completed.


Consequences of Classification as a ''Monument Historique''

For any alteration to the building or listed object, the owners must make a request at least four months before the start of work to the Prefect, indicating the details of the work to be carried out. Once listed, the monument cannot be transferred (sold, bequeathed, given, etc.) without first informing the Minister of Culture. The new owner must be informed, before the sale, of the classification or the registration. Likewise, no new construction may be built against the protected building without the prior consent of the Minister. In return, maintenance is partially funded by the State, and tax exemption is possible for owners.


Maintenance and restoration of historical monuments

Maintenance, repair and restoration work carried out for the conservation of the building may benefit from State aid (limited to 40% of the total amount, but cumulative with those, if any, from other communities). The work authorized on a classified or registered building must be scheduled by the owner with the assistance of the architect and companies of his choice and will be carried out under the control of the administration, under the scientific and technical control of the State. When the owner, the beneficiary, his agent or any person providing proof of a title authorizing him to have work carried out informs the regional prefect of his intention to carry out a work project on a building, an object or an organ protected, the regional prefect makes available to him the state of knowledge at his disposal on the property in question and indicates to him the regulatory, architectural and technical constraints that the project must respect. An appointment with the architect of the buildings of France is more than desirable before the filing of the file. In the case of work on a classified property, the regional prefect indicates to him, depending on the nature, importance and complexity of the work envisaged, the scientific and technical studies which must be carried out prior to determining the operating program. Since Decree no. 2009-749 of June 22, 2009 relating to the project management on buildings classified as historical monuments, the historical monuments service is withdrawing from the project management and the project management. Whereas previously, the restoration work had to be carried out by the ACHM with territorial jurisdiction and the maintenance work by the architect of the buildings of France (with an extremely blurred border since the intervention of the ABF was free), the state abolished the compulsory recourse to the administration except for its own property. Thus, all so-called "heritage" architects (that is to say, graduates of additional training, either carried out at the Ecole de Chaillot, be validated by the specialization diploma in architecture and heritage from the
École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville The École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville is a French grande école and school of architecture. It is currently ranked as the best architecture school in France. The school is recognized for its focus on sustainability ...
or equivalent) can claim maintenance and “repair” work on a listed monument. The "restoration" works are open to competition from architects from the European community who are qualified to take the competition based on qualifications, who have ten years of experience in restoring old buildings, under the provisions codified in Articles R.621- 26 and R.621-28 of the heritage code. In the event of an unsuccessful call for tenders, ACHM and ABF may be appointed as prime contractor. They can call on a monument restoration association, which then implements the rehabilitation of the listed heritage through concrete actions (masonry, stone cutting, guided tours, etc.) carried out by volunteers. For listed historic monuments, the use of an architect is compulsory. All work must be the subject of a building permit  (even those generally subject to prior declaration). For example, replacing shutters involves a building permit. The amount of the possible State participation is determined by the nature of its protection (registered or classified) "taking into account the particular characteristics of this building, its current state, the nature of the planned work, and finally the efforts consented by the owner or any other person interested in the conservation of the monument.” Work remaining the responsibility of the owner may be offset by tax benefits. From 2018, old and listed buildings will be able to become producers and, possibly, self-consumers of solar energy under certain conditions, such as on outbuildings or on parts of the building that are not visible (for some time now, architects have sometimes allowed “ discrete solar tiles ”).


Consequences on the surroundings

Considering that the heritage value and the amenity of a monument is also the "impression" that its surroundings provide, the law of 1943, amended by article 40 of the SRU law of December 2000, imposes a form of vigilance with regard to work projects in the “field of visibility” of historic monuments. The protection of the surroundings of historic monuments is governed by the provisions of articles: * L. 621-31 and R. 621-92 et seq. of the Heritage Code for the delimitation of their perimeter; * L. 621-30 and following and L. 632-2 of the Heritage Code, R. 425-1 of the town planning code or L. 581-8 (advertisements) and R. 581-16 (brands) of the environment code for work in these perimeters; * R. 621-96 et seq. of the Heritage Code for work not subject to authorization under the town planning or environmental codes. Protecting the relationship between a building and its environment consists, depending on the case, in ensuring the quality of the interventions (facades, roofs, materials), taking care of the treatment of floors, street furniture and lighting, or even prohibiting any new construction around the monument. The servitude to protect the surroundings automatically comes into play as soon as a building is classified or registered. All modifications to the exterior appearance of buildings, new constructions, but also interventions on exterior spaces must receive the authorization of the architect of buildings of France (ABF). Advertising and signs are also under its control. Pursuant to article L. 621-30.II of the Heritage Code, protection under the surroundings applies: * to any building, whether built or not, located within the perimeter delimited under the conditions set out in Article L. 621-31. This perimeter may be common to several historical monuments; * in the absence of a delimited perimeter, to any building, whether built or not, visible from the historic monument or visible at the same time as it and located less than five hundred meters from it; * to any part not protected as historical monuments of a classified or partially protected historic monument. This provision replaced the notion of backing onto a classified building only. In the second case, the notion of surroundings of a historic monument corresponds to that of field of visibility or covisibility and means that from a space on the ground accessible to the public the construction is visible from the monument, or that from the same point of view the two buildings are visible together, within a radius of 500 meters, from the perimeter of the protected building. Since the SRU law, the protection perimeter corresponding to the first case can be modified (widened or narrowed), on a proposal from the architect of the buildings of France, with the agreement of the municipal council . Since the law on the freedom of creation, architecture and heritage (2016), the perimeter is established if possible after agreement of the authority (municipal or inter-municipal) competent to set the local urban plan. If no agreement is reached, the decision is taken by the Ministry of Culture. However, if the perimeter extends beyond the distance of 500 meters, a decree in Council of State is necessary. According to article L. 621-32 of the heritage code, when a building is located in the vicinity of a building protected as historical monuments, its exterior appearance cannot be modified without prior authorization, which may take the place of those other legislations listed in article L. 632-2 of said code. Thus, any landscape or building located in the vicinity of a historic monument is subject to specific regulations in the event of modification, which must obtain the prior agreement of the architect of the buildings of France. The latter can issue an assent, which means that the mayor is bound by this opinion, or a simple opinion if, in the case concerned, there is no covisibility. The mayor's decision is then not bound by the opinion of the architect of the buildings of France. Article L. 632-2.II and III of the Heritage Code provides for cases of appeal by the applicant or the authority ruling on the application against the opinion of the architect of buildings in France, reminded in particular to Articles R. 424-14 and R. 423-68 of the Town Planning Code.


Guided tours

Since 8 July 2016, it is mandatory to call on a professional guide-lecturer to lead a guided tour of a ''Monument Historique''. Law no. 2016-925, Article 109: "Art. L. 221-1. - For the conduct of guided tours in the museums of France and historical monuments, natural or legal persons carrying out, including on an ancillary basis, the operations mentioned in I of article L. 211-1 may only use the services qualified persons holding a professional guide-lecturer card issued under conditions set by decree of the Council of State. The legal persons mentioned in III of article L. 211-18 are not subject to this obligation."


Specific tax regimes

The owner of a part of the French historical heritage benefits from specific tax regimes. Regarding income tax: property charges: works, insurance, property taxes, interest on loans, etc. relating to protected parts are deductible up to 50% of taxable income. And up to 100% when the monument is open to the public or for the part of the subsidized work remaining the responsibility of the owner. The objective of the administration is to help preserve our historical heritage and to promote its safeguard. However, if the work relates to a part of the building that is not classified or registered, the land charges are deductible only if the building is income-producing and essentially protected. The property must be kept for at least 15 years by its owner (natural person or family SCI). In the event of non-compliance with this commitment, this leads to an increase in income for the year the monument was sold and for the two following years by the amount of deductions made. Work undertaken on a classified property must always consist of restoration and not of “reconstruction”. It is a question of restoring the existing one, and not of completing a work which would have disappeared with time. Concerning inheritance or donation: historic monuments may be exempt from inheritance or donation tax. However, this exemption is not automatic, and is subject to the signing of an indefinite agreement with the Ministers of Culture and Finance including a commitment to conservation and openness to the public. The opening period is 60 days from 15 June to 15 September, or 80 days between 1 May and 30 September (including Sundays and public holidays). This exemption from inheritance tax is also granted for property owned in a company, such as family SCIs that have not opted for corporate tax. Concerning the ISI: historical monuments are integrated into the taxable base of the ISI as was the case for the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF). However, the tax administration is tolerant as regards the estimation of these historic residences, because it must take into account the particular penalties which weigh on the owner because of the protection and the opening to the public.


Regulations in Certain Overseas Territories (''Outre-Mer'')

As heritage protection is not the responsibility of the State, the texts are different in New Caledonia and French Polynesia . If the classification or registration procedures are adapted to the status of each community, the other metropolitan rules are largely identical.


New Caledonia

In New Caledonia, the regulation of historical monuments is the responsibility of each province. It is fixed: * in the North Province, by Title II of Book II of the Environmental Code of the North Province; * in Southern Province, by Chapters II and III (Art. 10 to 33) of the deliberation no. 14-90 / APS of January 24, 1990 on the protection and conservation of heritage in the southern province; * in the province Loyalty islands, by Chapters II and III (s. 10-33) of the resolution no. 90-66 / APIJuly 20, 1990 on the protection and conservation of heritage in the province of Islands. After examination of the file and opinion of the provincial commission of sites and monuments, the classification or the inscription is pronounced by decree of the president of the province in the event of agreement of the owner, or by deliberation of the assembly of province in the case opposite.


French Polynesia

In French Polynesia, historical monuments fall of Book VI of the Code of the heritage of French Polynesia adopted by the law of the country no. 2005-10 of November 19, 2015. After examination of the file, it is submitted to the opinion of the historical heritage commission, composed of two sections respectively for buildings and for furniture. Classification or registration is pronounced by decree taken in the Council of Ministers.


The logo

Inspired by the labyrinth of Reims Cathedral, the logo designating historic monuments can be affixed to any monument subject to protection as historical monuments. The commercial exploitation of this logo has been entrusted by the Ministry of Culture to the union of associations REMPART, which manages the manufacture of unified panels and the conditions of use of the logo on all media other than paper. Presented in 1985, it was modernized in 2017 by the Rudi Baur agency at the same time as the “remarkable heritage site” logo was created. The logo is declined in a road ideogram coded ID16a. Labyrinthe de la cathédrale de Reims.svg, Dessin du labyrinthe de la cathédrale de Reims. France road sign ID16a.svg, Idéogramme routier ID16a.


Examples

Examples of buildings classified as ''monument historique'' include well known Parisian structures such as the
Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "'' ...
, the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
, and the Palais Garnier opera house, plus abbeys, churches such as Corbiac, and cathedrals such as
Notre Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...
or hotels such as the Crillon. Many of the
Châteaux of the Loire Valley The châteaux of the Loire Valley (french: châteaux de la Loire) are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Montsoreau, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the river Loire in France. They ill ...
, such as
Château de Montsoreau The Château de Montsoreau is a Flamboyant Gothic castle in the Loire Valley, directly built in the Loire riverbed. It is located in the small market town of Montsoreau, in the Maine-et-Loire ''Departments of France, département'' of France, ...
, carry the MH designation, as do the renowned gardens at
Château de Villandry The Château de Villandry is a grand country house located in Villandry, in the ''département'' of Indre-et-Loire, France. It is especially known for its beautiful gardens. History The lands where an ancient fortress once stood were known as ' ...
and the home and gardens of
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...
in Giverny. The scope of the monuments covered is broad enough to include individual tombs of important people, for example,
Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
as well as less eminent people such as Agnès Souret, the first Miss France, whose tomb is in the French Basque Country, Basque Country.


Comparisons to heritage registers of other nations

Classification of a "monument historique" is similar to the listing of a property onto the United States' National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). A major difference is that in France permanent restrictions are attached to a public or private building, disallowing renovations which have not received approval. In the U.S., NRHP listing imposes no such restrictions, and indeed many NRHP-listed buildings have been altered or entirely demolished by their owners, without requiring any Federal review. Depending on location, though, local governments may, however, impose restrictions on recognized historic properties through their building codes and zoning laws. NRHP listing is a "primarily an honor". Listing does provide eligibility for Federal tax subsidies for eligible restorations and for renovations that preserve historic character, and for state or local subsidies too, again depending upon the location. Also public awareness associated with a listing may contribute indirectly towards protection. Property types eligible vary as well. Archives (collections of books and documents) were eligible for classification in France, while not ever in the U.S. Relatively smaller and more moveable items which might be allowed as monuments historiques are not eligible for NRHP listing.


See also

* Centre des monuments nationaux * List of monuments historiques in Paris * List of heritage registers * List of World Heritage Sites in France * National Heritage Site * Tourism in France


References


External links


Website of the Réseau européen du patrimoine : Politiques nationales du patrimoine
*
Prosper Mérimée 1803–1870
The monuments historiques inspector Prosper Mérimée established the first list of "monuments classés" in 1840 and invented the concept of monuments historiques. *
Rules and regulations on monuments historiques
*
Monumental parks and monuments historiques in need of work


Further reading

*''Les Monuments Historiques de la France: bulletin trimestriel''. Paris: Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques {{in lang, fr Monuments historiques of France, Heritage registers in France