City and country of art and history
Created in 1985, the label "Ville ou Pays d'art et d'histoire" is awarded by the Minister of Culture, after consultation with the Conseil national des Villes et Pays d'art et d'histoire, to municipalities or groups of municipalities that are committed to a policy of raising awareness among residents, visitors and young people of the quality of heritage, architecture and the living environment. This label replaces the "City of Art" label, which disappeared in 2005. To date, the national network has 190 Cities and Countries of Art and History: 119 Cities of Art and History and 71 Countries of Art and History.
The label Ville et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire is awarded to communities that are committed to preserving and promoting their heritage in all its dimensions. This commitment includes raising the awareness of inhabitants to the importance of their architectural, urban and landscape environment, as well as promoting architectural quality.
The objective of the labeled communities is to introduce young people to architecture and urban planning and to communicate about their heritage to a diverse public. They set up a program of actions that is animated by qualified and accredited personnel, including an architecture and heritage coordinator and guide-lecturers.
Thus, these communities have a service of animation of architecture and heritage, which proposes documentation presenting the heritage and the programmed actions (visits, exhibitions, conferences, etc.). Discovery tours are organized, led by qualified guide-lecturers, on different themes, such as contemporary architecture, industrial heritage, unusual places or gardens and landscapes. The regular training of the guides is essential to guarantee quality services.
