THE JDD. What was the initial intuition in 1996?
Guillaume Poitrinal. The model that our founder Édouard de Royère had in mind was that of the National Trust: an institution of private law, of a philanthropic nature, supported by large companies with volunteers and members. Very quickly, delegations were formed in each French region and department to come to the aid of neglected, rural and unprotected heritage, thanks to two means: direct financing assistance, but above all the establishment of collections to help the project leaders who are the associations, municipalities or individuals. The initial objective, which we are still aiming for, consists of uniting local energies, which we like to call here the “popular uprising”, to transmit French heritage to future generations. In 2025, we have saved 741 monuments.
In addition to supporting built and then natural heritage, you decided in 2011 to help certain trades…
Twenty years ago, professions like that of stonemason were much less valued than today. Behind the built heritage that we admire, there are professions often in tension. In 2025, 500 people benefited from integration projects thanks to partners and projects supported by the “Employment Heritage” program.
“Of the 1,080 sites supported by the Heritage Mission since 2018, 500 sites have been saved”
The Heritage Lottery is one of your missions with 29 million euros collected in 2025. What are the emblematic projects underway?
Of the 1,080 sites supported by the Heritage Mission since 2018, 500 sites have been saved, such as the Parc des Sources in Vichy, the villa of Jean Giono in Provence or the minor seminary of Pont-Croix in Finistère. One of the important projects of the moment is that of Fort Boyard in order to make it accessible to the public.
You have supported various projects including Notre-Dame de Paris with a collection which amounted to more than 226 million euros. Were you surprised by such mobilization?
We were only hoping for a tenth of that amount! We were also surprised to see that two thirds of the national collection was raised from our foundation. Small or large donors have chosen to turn to Heritage Foundationproof of the trust we have built with the French. This tragedy also revealed our ability to react urgently since, on the evening of the fire, we opened collection in the early hours.
There are also all the small churches in France, 5,000 of which are threatened with closure and 500 are already closed to the public by a danger order. What is wrong?
The first subject that we have been hammering home for years is that of maintenance. Private owners have acquired this mentality of prevention rather than restoration much more than public owners. The urgency is to move to a culture of maintenance. Then the question arises of the use made of these places, because we can understand that a small town refuses to pay the majority of its annual budget to repair a church which is only used for one hour per year. This is why we launched the Sesame Prize. To be saved, these churches must be used for cultural or social events compatible with worship, and it is these initiatives that we reward with this annual prize. Too many wonders remain closed while the French love their heritage!
Many churches choose to remain open, sometimes at the cost of theft or desecration…
We must severely sanction those who attack heritage. Then, we must ensure the safety and security of the premises with adequate systems. Who wasn’t shocked at the ease with which jewelry could be stolen from the Louvre? Or by the indigence of the fire safety system at Notre-Dame de Paris? However, it is an establishment open to the public… It is also not normal that there is no administrative investigation to unravel the tangled responsibilities and learn lessons. We’re tired of seeing churches burn one after the other!
