We all pass in front of these churches, mills and other vestiges of the past which have lost their former luster.
From now on, you have the possibility of saving a monument in danger in each department of Île-de-France.
Because this year, the Parisian is renewing the “Save our monuments” operation, in partnership with Dartagnans, a start-up specializing in heritage preservation.
In 2019, this unprecedented initiative raised more than 92,000 euros through crowdfunding.
For this second edition, the Dartagnans team decided on more than 700 candidates.
Each file was put to the vote of our journalists supported by the Ile-de-France region.
This time, it's up to you to choose among the 18 finalists by voting until November 7 on the “Sauvons nos monuments” site!
In Paris
The stained-glass windows of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil (Paris XVIIIe) need to be restored.
DR
Behind its emblematic monuments, the capital is teeming with little-known sites to preserve.
The Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil church
, encamped in the 18th arrondissement, thus conceals eighteen charming stained-glass windows which deserve to be restored.
Made in the 1930s and 1940s by the Mauméjean workshop, they represent a variety of biblical images but also the Virgin welcoming soldiers in memory of the war dead.
The donations would finance the intervention of a glass painter to revive their shimmering colors.
The “Lutèce”, a steel boat built in 1937. DR
The banks of the Seine also hide their nuggets.
The “Lutèce”
, a steel boat built in 1937 by the former Franco-Belgian shipyards, needs to be put back afloat.
For the record, it was commissioned by the city of Paris to protect the Universal Exhibition which was then taking place near the Seine.
Today, the boat belongs to Cultplace, a company specializing in the creation of places with a cultural dimension.
After twenty-five years of abandonment, she wishes to transform this singular place into a space of entertainment.
As a result, the organization of cruises on the Seine.
In Seine-et-Marne
The elegant costume worn by actor Constant Coquelin on December 12, 1897, during the premiere of the play “Cyrano de Bergerac”.
LP / Marie Briand Locu
This department brings together the most unusual projects of this edition.
First, the artists' retirement home in Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames proposes to restore
the elegant Cyrano costume
worn by the actor Constant Coquelin on December 12, 1897, during the premiere of the play "Cyrano de Bergerac », At the Porte Saint-Martin theater.
Photographer Nadar even immortalized the actor in this superb disguise in brown tones.
The private owner dreams of returning this outfit to its original state in order to lend it to exhibitions or present it when the museum reopens.
The Villenoy air raid shelter.
Its astonishing cone shape intrigues the curious.
The Villenoy air raid shelter
stands out with its special appearance.
Erected between 1938 and 1940, this imposing reinforced concrete building protected the personnel of the Sucrerie de Villenoy from enemy bombs during the Second World War.
The locals affectionately nickname this 18-meter, three-storey building “Sugar Loaf”.
The city hopes to start work to renovate the site, which can be visited by reservation.
In the Yvelines
The Épône organ, made up of 342 pipes, designed by Aristide Cavaillé Col.
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In Épône, a magnificent organ
aroused the interest of our teams.
Originally designed for the church of Enghien-les-Bains by the craftsman Aristide Cavaillé Col in 1878, this instrument can be admired today in the church of Saint-Béat.
Its creator has established himself as one of the most important organ builders of the 19th century.
But this model, made up of 342 pipes, has unfortunately suffered the ravages of time.
Objective for the city: that it resonates again as before under the vaults of the building.
The church of Mézières-sur-Seine.
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The church of Mézières-sur-Seine
, like many religious buildings, shows signs of wear, such as cracks and plaster peeling.
This listed building, built in the 12th century, then transformed in the 15th and 16th centuries, perfectly combines the Gothic and Roman styles.
It shelters some treasures which undoubtedly deserve to be preserved like a sublime statue of the virgin and the child or a fabric of the procession of Saint-Roch.
The town hall is counting on the operation to restore its interior as well as its sacred objects.
In Essonne
For 30 years, Isabelle Guignard has been fighting to keep the Daudet house alive, in Draveil.
She needs 8,000 euros to make the house waterproof.
LP / Cecile Chevallier
Alphonse Daudet bought in 1887 this charming property with white walls in the town of Draveil.
The author of “Lettres de Mon Moulin” lived there for the last eleven years of his life.
From now on, the place welcomes visits and artistic meetings but it has suffered from the consequences of the health crisis.
With the help of the pot, the “
Maison d'Alphonse Daudet
” association, which owns the house, plans to buy tools and plaster in order to repair certain parts, such as the gardener's house.
The Saint-Aignan church in Chalou-Moulineux risks collapsing.
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This is a real heritage in danger.
Located on the borders of Essonne, the pretty
church of Saint-Aignan de Chalou-Moulineux
was built during the time of the Templars.
The oldest mention of the work was found on an exchange charter signed in 1174 between the church of Saint-Aignan d'Orléans and Queen Adèle de Champagne, wife of Louis VI.
A diagnostic study, carried out in 2014, identified numerous disorders in the choir.
If the stabilization of the structure is not achieved as soon as possible, the walls may move apart until they collapse ...
In the Hauts-de-Seine
The superb boudoir in the home of Marshal André Massena, in Bagneux.
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The Massena de Bagneux house, a 13th century residence belonging to the diocese of Nanterre, contains a little-known room:
the boudoir of Eugénie Renique
, the mistress of the famous Marshal of the Empire André Massena.
In this room, decorated with sublime woodwork, is a magnetic portrait of Eugenie, a former opera dancer, dating from 1808. Due to lack of restoration measures, the room has slowly deteriorated.
The objective would be to restore the paintings in order to open the boudoir to regular visits.
The church of Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul de Clamart.
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The town of Clamart hopes to raise funds for its beautiful
Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church
which hosts many celebrations.
Listed as a historical monument since 1928, the latter is traditionally considered as a typical Renaissance construction even if repairs started in the 18th and 19th centuries have partially modified its appearance.
The work involves the restoration of the facades and the roof as well as that of the stained glass windows.
In Seine-Saint-Denis
The SNCF wagon, called the “Capitole” car.
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In Seine-Saint-Denis, two very original projects were selected.
First of all, there is the “Capitole”
car
,
an
abandoned
SNCF wagon
near the Paul-Éluard high school in Saint-Denis.
Built in 1966, this dining car belonged to the trains of the “Capitole”, the first high-speed train connecting Paris to Toulouse.
At the time, this high-tech flagship only existed in 42 copies.
From now on, the local association "Les Dionysiaques" wishes to transform it into a cultural café-restaurant intended for high school students and residents.
The Montfermeil mill.
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The Montfermeil mill
has kept its original juice.
We would almost like to smell the smell of ground grain inside, just like in the old days.
It is now a possibility.
At the beginning of the year, the town launched a call for projects, won by the Agrof'île association, to produce flour again.
By coming back to life, the mill would establish itself as an example of the reuse of artisanal heritage in a logic of responsible food industry.
But to get there, the initiators of the project need your help.
In the Val-de-Marne
The Sainte-Agnès church in Maisons-Alfort.
LP / Laure Parny
Its 53 m high bell tower can be seen from afar in the city.
Built in 1932 on the model of Notre-Dame-du-Raincy,
the Sainte-Agnès church in Maisons-Alfort
impresses with its reinforced concrete structure and its Art Nouveau style.
In the past, this construction was considered one of the most innovative achievements of its time.
But observers can now easily see the stones that stand out from its walls.
Because its facade requires a major repair.
The Grand Rocher of the Paris Zoological Park.
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Everyone knows the
Grand Rocher in
the Paris Zoological Park
.
But few are aware of his condition.
Because the latter did not benefit from the recent period of restructuring of the Natural History Museum.
Its concrete framework presents corrosions and a lack of waterproofing which can prove to be dangerous for its stability.
With the pot, the museum wants to undertake work to open it to the public by organizing exhibitions or private events.
In the Val-d'Oise
The castle of La Roche-Guyon.
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Built in the Middle Ages,
the
Château de la Roche-Guyon
fascinates from the top of its hill.
This project concerns only the renovation of its troglodyte reservoir dug in the chalky cliff.
Originally 22 meters long, it was used to supply the castle, the vast vegetable garden, the park and the 18th century fountain below on the town hall square.
The owners of the castle wish to restore it in order to make it accessible.
The church of Montsoult.
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Since last year, it has been closed to the public due to its dilapidation.
The church of Montsoult
is distinguished by its unique double nave plan.
This listed building from the 12th century was the subject of several reconstructions until 1543. Inside, a Christ in warm tones dominates the nave.
If restoration campaigns were undertaken around 1960, the building requires emergency safeguarding operations.
Props were installed to maintain its structure.
But the inhabitants will not be able to access it until it is consolidated.
In the Oise
Mélicoq.
The Moulin de Machemont.
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Two jewels were selected in the Oise.
With its burgundy windows, it's hard to resist the charm
of the Machemont water mill
located in the village of Mélicocq.
Once nicknamed "the city of the Roulottes", this haven of peace attracted several entertainment personalities until 1914. At the time, the publisher Gallimard even took up the pen to praise the attraction of this Eden.
Its owners now want to restart it in order to give it back "its old soul".
The church of Saint-Pierre de Jaux.
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With its facade adorned with gables alternating between stones and red bricks,
the Saint-Pierre de Jaux
church was classified as a historic monument in 1921. Its oldest parts date from the 12th century but it was rebuilt in the 16th century in Gothic style.
Inside, a beam features remarkable ornaments.
With this appeal for donations, the town intends to start a restoration program for the nave and aisles.
The challenge will also be to remedy the infiltration of water due to damaged tiles which may eventually damage the furniture.