In France, there are about 40,000 historical monument properties

Paris/Prague - In France, approximately 40,000 immovable cultural heritage sites are officially registered. Only a fraction of them is owned by the state, but none can be treated in any way without official consent, not even those in private ownership - about half of them are private, while the rest belong to municipalities, regions, and similar legal entities. However, if any intervention is necessary, the state participates to varying degrees in its financial coverage.
There are as many registered immovable monuments in France, which has about six times more inhabitants than the Czech Republic and is seven times larger, as there are in the Czech Republic. There are disputes about whether this number is high for the Czech Republic or not. According to architects, it is high, and excessive protection of monuments prevents the new use of historical buildings, while restorers argue that protection is necessary because many owners would endanger the monument without it.
According to some experts, the lack of a list of monuments includes a small number of registered industrial architecture monuments. There are only about 2,800. At the time the list was created, it was based on the traditions of heritage care from the end of the 19th century, and churches, monasteries, castles, and chateaus were the first to be added to the list; technology was only just emerging at that time. Folk architecture is also well-preserved, often as part of generally protected villages, with approximately 7,000 folk architecture monuments.
In France, care for monuments has a long tradition - the first official list was created as early as 1840, and the first law for their protection was adopted in 1887. Many objects that might also deserve protection are not on the list. Parisian historian François Loyer points out that there are more protected buildings in the state of New York alone than in all of France.
According to current legislation, the 40,000 immovable monuments are divided into two categories. About 15,000 are "classified" (classés), while the rest are "registered in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments."
Inclusion in the first group is decided by the superior commission for historical monuments in agreement with the owner. If there is no agreement, the state council can "classify" the monument by decree. The state then has an obligation to compensate the owner for any material damage. A "classified" object cannot be destroyed and cannot be changed in any way without permission. By law, the state can order the owner to make repairs. However, the owner is entitled to financial assistance from the state, covering up to fifty percent of the operational costs of the object.
For objects "registered in the supplementary inventory," it is only 15 percent. The prefect of the region makes the decision on the registration. The prefect must also be informed of any changes the owner wishes to make well in advance and can prevent them by starting a process that may result in the transfer of the monument to the "classified" category. A "registered" monument can only be demolished with the consent of the Minister of Culture.
The state now spends just over 300 million euros (8.4 billion crowns) annually on monument maintenance, which is insufficient. According to the newspaper Libération, two billion euros would be needed just for essential repairs. Private patrons or municipalities and regions are being called upon for assistance.
A law from 2004 allows for some monuments to be transferred from state ownership to municipalities and regions. Critics argue that this is merely the state's way of shifting responsibility to a lower level to rid itself of financial obligations.
On the other hand, municipalities are also coming up with their own initiatives. The city of Paris, where there are only 800 items on the list of "classified" monuments, for example, has compiled its own list of about 4,000 buildings that it wants to protect. Among them are modern buildings, such as the headquarters of the French Communist Party, designed by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
The goal is to preserve distinctive structures and the character of those parts of the city that might otherwise disappear in the pursuit of modernization. This was threatened after the war, for example, the historic Marais quarter, whose savior was the former Minister of Culture André Malraux, who pushed for a law protecting historic centers in 1962.
When it comes to interventions in historic objects, a unified approach cannot be traced. The goal of giving them an "ideal" appearance, even at the cost of additions, has been abandoned. For example, in the 19th century, even the Notre-Dame Cathedral was renovated. Historical fidelity is preserved where documentation exists - for instance, some cathedrals damaged during the war were restored this way. However, radical interventions and changes are not excluded - the best example is the glass pyramid at the Louvre.