Early Tuesday morning I took the metro to Gare du Lyon for a 6:58 AM train to Dijon, to begin a four day visit with the SDAP for the department l’Yonne (89), within the region called the Bourgogne (Burgundy), famous for its wines.
So who is the SDAP? Historic preservation in France is a top-down, federal affair, overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Communication (MCC). France is subdivided into 22 regions, including overseas regions. Each region is subdivided into departments, and there are 99 departments total. Each department is comprised of many communes. In all France, there are 36,722 “communes” (towns, villages, cities). Regional protection of historic monuments and protected cultural sites is the responsibility of the DRAC (Les Directions regionales des affairs culturelles) - at the regional level. Approximately 50% of DRAC staff work in “les Services du Patrimoine et de l’Architecture” (SDAP) - at the department level. It is the historical architects (Architectes des Batimats de France - ABF), technicians, and engineers who review any proposed construction effort within a protected area. Potentially controversial work on historic monuments is reviewed by a separate commission, the Commission Superior, that meets monthly in Paris. My time in Bourgogne has been to understand the responsibilities and processes of the DRAC and SDAP.
Olivier Curt, ABF, SDAP89 (right) discussing a proposed street modification with the local commune officials.
So who is the SDAP? Historic preservation in France is a top-down, federal affair, overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Communication (MCC). France is subdivided into 22 regions, including overseas regions. Each region is subdivided into departments, and there are 99 departments total. Each department is comprised of many communes. In all France, there are 36,722 “communes” (towns, villages, cities). Regional protection of historic monuments and protected cultural sites is the responsibility of the DRAC (Les Directions regionales des affairs culturelles) - at the regional level. Approximately 50% of DRAC staff work in “les Services du Patrimoine et de l’Architecture” (SDAP) - at the department level. It is the historical architects (Architectes des Batimats de France - ABF), technicians, and engineers who review any proposed construction effort within a protected area. Potentially controversial work on historic monuments is reviewed by a separate commission, the Commission Superior, that meets monthly in Paris. My time in Bourgogne has been to understand the responsibilities and processes of the DRAC and SDAP.
Olivier Curt, ABF, SDAP89 (right) discussing a proposed street modification with the local commune officials.
