IN PICTURES – Stéphane Bern, the Française des Jeux and the Fondation du Patrimoine revealed the list of 2024 winners in front of a former post house in Eure-et-Loir. An edition of “Mission Patrimoine” scratch cards went on sale on Monday, September 2, to benefit these sites.
It’s a back-to-school ritual that Stéphane Bern doesn’t deviate from. For the 7e consecutive year, the host, the Française des Jeux and the Fondation du Patrimoine – the Minister of Culture, who resigned, having declined – have made public the list of 100 projects that will benefit from the heritage lottery. These projects are in addition to 18 other sites, known as emblematic, already announced in March.
The announcement, a moment eagerly awaited by heritage circles, was made from the former Saint-Jacques coaching inn in Dangeau, in Eure-et-Loir. First an inn, then a coaching inn welcoming pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela, this half-timbered house dating from the 13th centurye and XIVe centuries was acquired in 1969 by a family. The aim is to use the lottery money to convert it into hotel rooms and a museum of perfume bottles. “This very popular site has been under construction for years. By helping it, we want to contribute to the revival of the villages’ heritage,” explains Stéphane Bern.
A quick glance at the list of projects selected for 2024 shows that, once again, the initial contract is assured. Cloisters, castles, washhouse fountains, Alsatian, Creole or Landes houses, bridges, old train station or brickyard, ramparts, dovecote, stables, mill, abbeys, orangeries… France’s small heritage is well represented, as are all the departments.
More than half in municipalities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants
Half of the owners are associative and public, the other half are private, like the family that owns the former Dangeau coaching inn. 61% of the eligible monuments are not protected, and 58% are located in municipalities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants.
Since 2017, millions of players have participated each year in the recovery of small heritage. This year, a scratch card, sold for 15 euros, will bring in 1.83 euros to the Heritage Mission and possibly up to 1.5 million euros for a lucky winner. Seven special lottery draws (on September 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18 and 21) will also be organized. For each grid of 2.20 euros played, the Heritage Mission will pocket 0.54 euros.
Small beds make big rivers and the more we play, the more heritage will win: in 2023, 28 million euros were collected for the benefit of 118 monuments. Since the launch of this operation, which has found its rhythm, 155 million euros have been paid by the Heritage mission to some 950 sites, the lottery making it possible to raise other funds, including patronage or public subsidies.
