The presence of the head of state in Semur-en-Auxois this Friday is symbolic.
Beyond the expected and even hoped-for announcements by philanthropy actors and the tens of millions of French people attached to their heritage, beyond the announced tax measures, Emmanuel Macron’s speech, under the vaults of this monument, symbolizes the fact that our heritage does not stop at old stones to be restored. It is combined with the present.
These announcements emphasize how we not only have the duty to preserve but also to transmit, beyond material possessions, an intangible and spiritual heritage.
Bien vivant, cet héritage commun mérite un investissement, au sens propre comme au figuré, de toutes les composantes du corps social. Le patrimoine est notre Bien Commun, notre responsabilité commune. C’est la grande intuition de tous ceux qui depuis des années se sont engagés au chevet d’un patrimoine abandonné et parfois même mourant.
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Les propos d’Emmanuel Macron sont par ailleurs une vraie reconnaissance de la nécessité de faire travailler, acteurs philanthropes et Etat, main dans la main.
Laboratoire. Pour sauvegarder et partager notre patrimoine, comme dans nombre d’autres domaines (pauvreté, handicap, etc.), la philanthropie est un laboratoire. Un laboratoire pour créer, tester, rassembler, arrêter si besoin mais toujours gagner du temps. Ce temps qui érode parfois les énergies davantage que les monuments qui défient les siècles.
Notre patrimoine n’est pas la relique de l’histoire, destinée à meubler un musée à ciel ouvert. Il est ce qui élève notre société. Plus haut et fort est l’arbre, plus profondes sont les racines
Notre patrimoine n’est pas la relique de l’histoire, destinée à meubler un musée à ciel ouvert. Il est ce qui élève notre société. Plus haut et fort est l’arbre, plus profondes sont les racines.
This is why our heritage is the foundation of our identity. It allows us, regardless of our personal history, to share this great and beautiful collective adventure that is the French Nation. It is the foundation without which a society cannot be built. In a time when public authorities, in Paris as well as in the regions, seek to create and consolidate social bonds, putting heritage at the heart of the city appears to be a common-sense approach. The active forces to defend it exist, it is enough, as Emmanuel Macron has just done, to mobilize them.
Our heritage is not only a matter of the capital and big cities, where only monumental buildings would deserve our attention.
Territories. Our heritage represents our territories and its inhabitants. Even the most humble chapel, the forgotten washhouse, the small neighborhood synagogue, must be saved from the abandonment in which they are often left, primarily due to lack of resources, but also lack of interest or understanding of what they represent. There is no need to believe in order to love our roots and appreciate the architectural legacy that we are entrusted with.
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Yes, these announcements are welcome. They will be effective provided that everyone is involved, including foundations, associations, and also businesses because they are the actors on the ground, handling the logistics of the last mile. They should be involved upstream by the government and downstream by heritage enthusiasts.
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