French Towns and Lands of Art and History

Last updated

Since 1985, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication has pursued a policy of preserving and promoting France's heritage. Historic towns and districts have been designated Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire ("Towns and Lands of Art and History").

Contents

The Ministry provides financial and technical support to regions and groups for architectural and heritage undertakings. The Ministry imposes an obligation on beneficiaries to receive workers it has deemed qualified to participate in projects. The national council of towns and districts of art and history (Le conseil national des Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire), set up in 1995, participates in the development and general policy of the network. It advises on the eligibility of towns and districts for the Lands of Art and History designation, and effects withdrawal of support from landmarks where standards slip.

Policies of the network are put into effect by the regional directorates of arts and culture (Direction régionale des affaires culturelles: DRAC). The directorates seek to ensure that projects are relevant and blend into the culture of the region. They also serve as intermediaries between localities and the national organization.

In 2005, about 130 towns and districts were part of this network.

Point for discussion

A more accurate and readily-understandable translation of pays would be district (Towns and Districts of Art and History), as the word pays refers to an administrative area centered on a town or village - akin to a district or subdivision of an English county.

List of the French Towns and Lands of Art and History by region

The numbers in brackets are those assigned by the Ministry to the départements.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

- Towns of Art and of History : Aix-les-Bains (74), Valence (26), Grenoble (38), Vienne (38), Saint-Étienne (42), Albertville (73), Chambéry (73), Moulins (03).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays de Saône-Vallée (01), Pays du Vivarais méridional (07), Pays Voironnais (38), Pays du Forez (42), Pays des Hautes vallées de Savoie (vallée de la Tarentaise, Maurienne et Beaufortain) (73), Agglomération d’Annecy (74), Pays de la Vallée d'Abondance (74), Pays Issoire Val d'Allier sud, Pays du Haut-Allier, Pays de Riom, Pays de Saint-Flour, Pays de Billom Saint-Dier-d'Auvergne (63), Pays du Puy-en-Velay (43).

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

- Towns of Art and of History : Autun (71), Auxerre (89), Châlon-sur-Saône (71), Joigny (89), Nevers (58), Dijon (21), La Charité-sur-Loire (58), Besançon (25), Dole (39).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays de l'Auxois (21), Pays Charolais-Brionnais (71), Pays « Entre Cluny et Tournus » (71), Pays de Montbéliard (25), Pays du Revermont (Poligny, Arbois, Salins  : 39).

Brittany

- Towns of Art and of History : Dinan (22), Dinard (35), Concarneau (29), Fougères (35), Lorient (56), Morlaix (29), Vannes (56), Vitré (35), Brest (29)).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays de Morlaix (22), Pays de Quimperlé (22).

- Metropolis of Art and of History: Rennes (35).

- Towns of Art in which assent has been withdrawn : Auray (56), Saint-Malo (35).

Centre-Val de Loire

- Towns of Art and of History : Orléans (45), Tours (37), Blois (41), Vendôme (41), Bourges (18), Chinon (37), Loches (37).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays Loire Touraine (37), Pays Loire Val d'Aubois, Pays de la vallée du Cher et du Romorantinais (41).

Corsica

- Towns of Art and of History : Ajaccio (2A), Bastia (2B), Sartène (2A), Bonifacio (2A)).

Grand-Est

- Towns of Art and of History: Mulhouse (68), Strasbourg (67), Sedan (08), Châlons-en-Champagne (51), Bar-le-Duc (55), Metz (57), Langres (52), Reims (51), Troyes (10), Charleville-Mézières (08), Lunéville (54).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays du Val d'Argent, Pays de Guebwiller (68), Pays d’Épinal, Cœur des Vosges (88).

Guadeloupe

- Towns of Art and of History : Basse-Terre, Pointe-à-Pitre.

French Guiana

- Towns of Art and of History : Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.

- Land of Art and of History : Pays des estuaires Maroni-Mana (including Awala-Yalimapo and Suriname  : resort de Galibi).

Hauts-de-France

- Towns of Art and of History : Roubaix (59), Boulogne-sur-Mer (62), Cambrai (59), Lille (59), Tourcoing (59), Chantilly (60), Beauvais (60), Laon (02), Noyon (60), Saint-Quentin (02), Soissons (02).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays de Lens-Liévin, Pays de Saint-Omer et de la Morinie (62).

- Metropolis of Art and of History: Amiens (80).

Île-de-France

- Towns of Art and of History : Boulogne-Billancourt (92), Étampes (91), Meaux (77), Noisiel (77), Pontoise (95), Rambouillet (78), Vincennes (Val-de-Marne), Communauté d'Agglomération de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (78), Plaine Commune (93).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays de l’Etampois – Sud Essonne (91), Parc naturel régional du Vexin français.

Martinique

- Towns of Art and of History : Saint-Pierre.

Normandy

- Towns of Art and of History : Caen (14), Dieppe (76), Fécamp (76), Le Havre (76), Bernay (27).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays d'Auge (14), Pays du Clos du Cotentin & Valognes (50), Pays de Coutances (50), Rouen-Elbeuf-Austreberthe (76).

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

- Towns of Art and of History : Bergerac (24), Bordeaux (33), Périgueux (24), Sarlat (24), Pau (64), Bayonne (64), Dax (40), La Réole (33), Limoges (87), Cognac (16), Poitiers (86), Rochefort (17), Royan (17), Saintes (17), Thouars (79).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays du Béarn des Gaves (64), Pays du Grand Villeneuvois (47), Pays des Pyrénées béarnaises (64), Pays des Hautes terres corréziennes et Ventadour (19), Pays Vézère et Ardoise (19), Pays des Monts et Barrages (87), Île de Ré (17), Pays du Confolentais (16), Pays de l’Angoumois (16), Pays Châtelleraudais (86), Pays Mellois (79), Pays Montmorillonnais (86), Pays de Parthenay (79).

Occitania

- Towns of Art and of History : Millau (12), Cahors (46), Figeac (46), Montauban (82), Moissac (82), Toulouse (31), Beaucaire (30), Lodève (34), Narbonne (11), Nîmes (30), Perpignan (66), Uzès (30).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays des Bastides du Rouergue (Najac, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Villeneuve d'Aveyron) (12), Pays de la Vallée de la Dordogne (46), Pays des Pyrénées cathares (Canton de Mirepoix, Canton de Lavelanet) (09), Pays du Grand Auch (32), Pays des Vallées d'Aure et du Louron (31), Grand Rodez (12), Pays de Mende et Lot-en-Gévaudan (48), Pays de Pézenas (34), Pays de la Vallée de la Têt (66), Pays transfrontalier des Vallées du Tech et du Ter ((66)), Pays du Haut Languedoc et Vignobles (34).

- Metropolis of Art and of History: Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (34).

Pays de la Loire

- Towns of Art and of History : Guérande (44), Nantes (44), Angers (49), Fontenay-le-Comte (85), Laval (53), Le Mans (72), Saumur (49), Clisson (44), Saint-Nazaire (44).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays du Perche sarthois (72), Pays Coëvrons-Mayenne (53), Pays de la Vallée du Loir (72), Pays du Vignoble nantais (44).

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

- Towns of Art and of History : Arles (13), Briançon (05), Fréjus (83), Grasse (06), Hyères (83), Martigues (13), Menton (06), Nice (06).

- Land of Art and of History : Pays de Carpentras et du Comtat Venaissin (84), Pays S.U.D. Serre-Ponçon Ubaye Durance (04 and 05), Pays de la Provence Verte (83), Pays des Vallées Roya-Bévéra (06).

Réunion

- Towns of Art and of History : Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre.

- Land of Art and of History : Les portes du Sud.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department</span>

The following is a list of the 272 communes of the Indre-et-Loire department of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pays de la Loire</span> Administrative region of France

Pays de la Loire is one of the eighteen regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital and most populated city, Nantes, one of a handful of French "balancing metropolises". In 2020, Pays de la Loire had a population of 3,832,120.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communes of the Haut-Rhin department</span>

The following is a list of the 366 communes of the French department of Haut-Rhin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Étienne</span> Prefecture and commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Saint-Étienne is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, 60 km (37 mi) southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Marais</span> Historic district in Paris, France

The Marais is a historic district in Paris, France. It spreads across parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements on the Rive Droite, or Right Bank, of the Seine. Having once been an aristocratic district, it is home to many buildings of historic and architectural importance. It lost its status as a fashionable district in the late 18th century, with only minor nobles calling the area home. After the French Revolution, the district fell into disrepair and was abandoned by nobility. After a long period of decay, the district has undergone transformation in recent years and is now once again amongst the more fashionable areas of Paris, known for its art galleries, upscale restaurants and museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administrative divisions of France</span> Class grouping all types of territorial divisions of France (administrative or electoral)

The administrative divisions of France are concerned with the institutional and territorial organization of French territory. These territories are located in many parts of the world. There are many administrative divisions, which may have political, electoral (districts), or administrative objectives. All the inhabited territories are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council and their citizens have French citizenship and elect the President of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laval, Mayenne</span> Prefecture and commune in Pays de la Loire, France

Laval ( ) is a town in western France, about 300 km (190 mi) west-southwest of Paris, and the capital of the Mayenne department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communes of the Sarthe department</span>

The following is a list of the 354 communes of the Sarthe department of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department</span>

The following is a list of the 507 communes of the Seine-et-Marne department of France.

In France, a pays is an area whose inhabitants share common geographical, economic, cultural, or social interests, who have a right to enter into communal planning contracts under a law known as the Loi Pasqua or LOADT, which took effect on February 4, 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montsoreau</span> Commune in Pays de la Loire, France

Montsoreau is a commune of the Loire Valley in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France on the Loire, 160 km (99 mi) from the Atlantic coast and 250 km (160 mi) from Paris. The village is listed among The Most Beautiful Villages of France and is part of the Loire Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrondissement of Angers</span> Arrondissement in Pays de la Loire, France

The arrondissement of Angers is an arrondissement of France in the Maine-et-Loire department in the Pays de la Loire region. It has 66 communes. Its population is 380,215 (2016), and its area is 1,740.7 km2 (672.1 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Plus Beaux Villages de France</span> Association of the most beautiful villages in France

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of 2024, it numbers 176 member villages. It is affiliated to the international association The Most Beautiful Villages in the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croissy-Beaubourg</span> Commune in Île-de-France, France

Croissy-Beaubourg is a French commune located in the Seine-et-Marne département, in the Île-de-France région.

Georges Pillement was a French writer, translator and photographer. He was born in Mayet in the Loire region. He won the Prix des Deux Magots for his novel Plaisir d'amour in 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georges Poisson</span> French art historian (1924–2022)

Georges Poisson was a French art historian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Côte de Jade</span> Riviera in France

The Jade Coast constitutes the coastal fringe of the Pays de Retz in Loire-Atlantique, extending from the Loire estuary in the north to the Marais breton in the south, thus bordering the Bay of Bourgneuf on its southern part. Its jagged coasts and its numerous beaches are of summer tourist interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe Loiseleur des Longchamps Deville</span> French historian

Philippe Loiseleur des Longchamps Deville was a French historian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Departmental Council of Loire-Atlantique</span> Departmental legislature in France

The Departmental Council of Loire-Atlantique, called the 'General Council of Loire-Inférieure' between 1800 and 1957, then 'General Council of Loire-Atlantique' until 2015, is the deliberative assembly of the French department of Loire-Atlantique. Its headquarters are in Nantes.