From La Coupole to Chantilly, the Court of Auditors denounces the abandonment of the heritage of the French Academy

The Institut de France, which houses the French Academy in particular, urgently needs major renovation work in the face of the risk of fire, notes the Court of Auditors in a report made public on Thursday.

The Court deplores the sometimes dilapidated state of an “exceptional artistic and cultural heritage, partly abandoned”, in the capital and elsewhere.

“A large part of the cultural heritage of the Institute and the academies, for lack of resources or of attention, has on the other hand been neglected for several decades, as is the case in particular of the Villa Éphrussi in Saint-Jean. -Cap-Ferrat (Alpes-Maritimes), the manor of Kerazan (Finistère) or the domain of Chaalis (Oise). The issues of conservation and enhancement of collections and, more generally, those related to museums and other places of memory are taken into account very differently depending on their organization. It is essential that in the future, professional standards and scientific conservation obligations which should be attached to the heritage of the Institute and the academies be more systematically respected

”.

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The finding is severe.

It is also the case of the headquarters of the Institute, the College of Four Nations quai Conti in Paris, nicknamed the Cupola for the architecture of its former chapel.

“The Conti Palace has been insufficiently maintained over the past decades.

The Institute and the academies are therefore today confronted with an "investment wall" "

, write the magistrates of the rue Cambon.

"The Institut de France shows a structural deficit despite" a financial heritage of nearly one billion euros "

The building is poorly prepared for the risk of fire, reveals the Court, which relies on an audit of the heritage inspection of the Ministry of Culture at the end of 2020.

“The audit highlights the existence of numerous security risks in the premises where the archives are stored, with significant dangers in the event of a fire breaking out, including in the area below the Cupola ”

, we read in the report.

The Institut de France is aware of the need for this work, which it estimates at around 25 million euros, without however having an estimate.

However, its means are limited: it displays a

"structural deficit"

despite

"a financial heritage of nearly one billion euros," said

the Court.

"Advertising tarpaulins"

The Ministry of Culture replied in the report that it refused any contribution, in accordance with the law.

For him, this

"would constitute a considerable derogation in terms of amount, which would risk setting a precedent"

.

He suggests resorting, if the Institute's own resources are not sufficient, to

"revenue from advertising tarpaulins"

as well as

"patronage, without contribution from the ministry".

The Court, by many examples, illustrates how much this establishment placed directly under the authority of the President of the Republic and its various branches

"must (...) restore order in their accounts"

.

She spotted

"serious disorders" there

.

Other real estate sites appear to be in danger or in escheat, especially the villa Ephrussi in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, near Nice. The Chantilly estate (Oise) needs work for 17.6 million euros.

“The State has just provided exceptional and notable support to the Chantilly estate (at least € 4.5 million) to deal with the consequences of the health crisis and the withdrawal of the Aga Khan. Such support constitutes a major change from the rule according to which the institute and the academies, very richly endowed, are supposed to meet their financing needs thanks to the income of their patrimony. The exceptional support of the State highlights, if it were needed, the pressing need for the

Institute and academies to reform their management ”, further specifies this report.

The Institut de France brings together five academies (French, inscriptions and belles-lettres, sciences, beaux-arts, and moral and political sciences) whose mission is the cultural and scientific influence of the country.