Europe 1 8:01 am, September 17, 2021

Charged by the executive with a mission intended to enhance the heritage, Stéphane Bern, who presents every day on Europe 1 the program "Historically yours", came to speak on Friday morning on the air about the importance of this part of culture and history in France.

European Heritage Days open on Saturday.

INTERVIEW

Every year, it is an event popular with the French who can visit many buildings.

The European Heritage Days, JEP for close friends, will be held this weekend for their 2021 edition. On this occasion, Stéphane Bern, who presents the program "Historically yours" every day on Europe 1, came to praise the merits hexagonal wealth.

The one who has been entrusted by Emmanuel Macron with a mission intended to enhance it indeed believes that "heritage is culture, art and history at hand".

A "small heritage of proximity"

"More than ever, in these moments of great uncertainty, the French are attached to their roots, which makes their identity," he said.

"Heritage is not only old stones, it is also industrial buildings, places of power, houses of writers and illustrious people, and this small heritage of our countryside which appeals to people so much."

Because the journalist and chronicler says it loud and clear, he has "as much affection for large buildings as for this small local heritage, washhouses, fountains, which speak to me just as much about the history of France".

130 million euros for the heritage lottery

With his heritage lottery, which aims to raise funds to renovate endangered buildings, Stéphane Bern "has already raised 130 million euros in three years to save 300 monuments". "It's fun, one in three tickets is a winner. The French have appropriated this crusade to save their heritage," says the journalist. Who also notes that "behind the old stones, there are people who put their know-how and their excellence" at the service of heritage.

The buildings selected to benefit from this lottery must be "in danger", be the subject of a "development project" which is "mature". In addition, the selection is made on the criterion of "the economic impact on the territory" of a possible renovation. "We must do useful work to show the French that saving heritage means saving oneself and saving the economy in the countryside", defends Stéphane Bern. "Because the last factor of equality between cities and the countryside is heritage."