23 Feb 2018
On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, oversaw the signing of an agreement between the French Ministry of Culture (represented by Minister Francoise Nyssen) and the French Heritage Foundation (represented by its president Guillaume Poitrinal) to secure governmental use of funds generated by a new lottery, the 'Heritage Lotto', for the restoration and ongoing preservation of France's architectural heritage. Signatories of the agreement also included Stéphane Bern (a popular history and heritage Radio and TV show host) and Stéphane Pallez, CEO of 'Française des Jeux', France's national lottery authority.
Last September, the French President enlisted Stephane Bern's assistance in identifying and listing France's most threatened pieces of architectural heritage, with a view to finding a new way of financing their restoration. One of the solutions was to create a new lottery, which was legally passed on 28 December.
Over the next three years, draws of this new 'Heritage Lotto' will take place on the European Heritage Days (Journées Européennes du Patrimoine) and the proceeds will go directly to the French Heritage Foundation, earmarked for the restoration of architectural treasures across France. The inaugural draw will be on Friday, September 14, 2018, the day before this year's European Heritage Days begin. A scratch card option will also be available.
In its first year, the proceeds from the Heritage Lotto will subsidise restoration projects for approximately 100 threatened monuments, chateaux and manors. Other fundraising initiatives will include crowdfunding campaigns that will support the restoration of 14 emblematic structures in each French region.
Stéphane Bern will head the selection committee of the 1,800 restoration projects listed by the French Heritage Foundation and the French Ministry of Culture that will receive financial aid from the special fund. Applications for funding are taken online by the Ministry of Culture and assessed by both organisations. The projects are both public and private, and will support France's architectural heritage from across all historical periods, in all sectors: rural, residential, religious, industrial, funereal, military, and relating to gardens and public spaces.
The selection criteria will be:
- Cultural and historical significance
- Urgency of restoration due to state of the structure
- Geographical balance, while prioritising the revitalisation of smaller towns and rural areas
- Support projects to showcase the structure or its new use, and the economic benefits expected, contributing to local tourism development
The French National Lottery estimates that the Heritage Lotto will raise between 15 and 20 million euros. Additional fundraising managed by the French Heritage Foundation will include corporate sponsoring and crowdfunding.
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ABOUT:
The Fondation du Patrimoine/French Heritage Foundation is a private, non-profit organisation that was legally formed in July 1996 to promote, preserve and showcase France's architectural heritage that does not benefit from France's landmarking laws.
Stéphane Bern, born in Lyon in 1963, is a French journalist, radio and television host. He is known as a specialist in nobility and royalty and has been awarded several honours, including the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), the Order of Grimaldi (Monaco) and the Order of the British Empire (UK).
The Journées Européennes du Patrimoine/European Heritage Days are two annual 'open-house' days held in late September in over 50 European countries, during which the public can visit national architectural treasures, often free of charge, as well as private buildings or those not normally open to the public such as courthouses, ministries, police headquarters, prefectures and other administrative buildings.
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