Direct aid of 614 million euros will support heritage, in particular cathedrals, and large museums in difficulty, the Ministry of Culture said Thursday.
This sum is part of the envelope of 2 billion euros reserved for culture in the government recovery plan of 100 billion euros, and represents nearly a third of the total.
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“
Today our objective is a relaunch by or for culture.
In 2009, the recovery plan for culture, it was 100 million euros, only concentrated on historical monuments
", it was stressed in the office of the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot.
Before adding: “
We are in a logic of acceleration to do things that could not be done annually.
"
280 million euros will be devoted to "
a massive effort in favor of historical monuments, mainly in the region, aimed at supporting fine crafts and excellent know-how
", while heritage is in dire need of maintained and restored.
In these 280 ME, "
an unprecedented cathedrals plan will be endowed with 80 million euros
", ie a doubling compared to 2009.
One hundred million will also go to the restoration of the very degraded former royal castle of Villers-Cotterets, in the Aisne, which President Emmanuel Macron intends to make a center of the Francophonie.
No less than 40 million will benefit the hundreds of monuments of the Center des Monuments Nationaux (CMN) and 40 others to monuments belonging to monuments of local authorities and private owners.
Finally, 20 million will be dedicated to renovating regional museums, archives and archaeological sites.
Emergency aid
The second budget for heritage amounts to 334 million euros.
It will be devoted to the resumption of activity of public heritage establishments, which were loudly calling for emergency aid: Louvre, Versailles, CMN, Musée d'Orsay, Réunion des Musées Nationaux-Grand Palais, Center Pompidou, Universcience , Chambord ...
"
The objective is to enable these large public establishments, which support our activity and the international influence of France, to be able to overcome the drop in attendance
", which was 40 to 80%, indicated the cabinet. .
"
As soon as the own revenues of these establishments are in difficulty, the exclusive shareholder, which is the State, must be present to support them
", it was argued.
It was pointed out to the ministry that a whole series of cross-cutting measures in the government recovery plan will be added to these targeted measures: aid for very small businesses / SMEs, aid for youth employment, renovation of buildings, etc. should boost employment in the cultural sector.
