The under-protection of France’s heritage, particularly in Paris, the incomprehensible lack of "sites patrimoniaux remarquables" in the capital with the exception of those in the 7th arrondissement and the Marais, the tragic inadequacy of the Île-de-France "Direction régionale des Affaires Culturelles [1]" (DRAC), no doubt partly due to chronic understaffing, and the disastrous heritage policy of Paris City Hall... These recurring nuisance, which are helping to ravage Paris more and more each day, are likely to claim a new victim very soon: the "Cour du Bel-Air", a historic group of buildings including some remarkable staircases located in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine at 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine (ill. 1 à 3).
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- 1. In the centre, entrance to the Cour du Bel-Air at 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine,
on the left, the two oldest houses in the street,
dating from 1637 and forming part of the outbuildings of the Hôtel du Bel-Air.
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
At a meeting on 4 October 2022, when the Sites & Monuments association submitted an application for this complex to be listed ("inscrite monument historique", the Permanent Delegation of the Commission régionale du patrimoine et de l’architecture [2] (CRPA) did not want the complex to be listed as a historic monument, as it did not consider it necessary to present the application to the plenary session of the CRPA. The application was prompted by the building co-ownership’s plan to demolish a 19th-century staircase in order to install a lift. This first demolition, involving an unprotected element of genuine heritage value, as we shall see, despite what the Conservation régionale des monuments historiques has to say, would set a precedent that would eventually threaten the other staircases in the buildings in this courtyard, dating from the 17th and early 18th centuries and of great historic interest, in particular the one known as the "Black Musketeers’ Staircase". It is in fact this whole complex that should be protected as a historic monument, or included in a Plan de Sauvegarde et de Mise en Valeur [3] (PSMV) of a "Site Patrimonial Remarquable", which would include the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, the popular counterpart of the Marais district.
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- 2. The Cour du Bel-Air, in the background, on the left is the Hôtel du Bel-Air, and on the right is the outbuilding containing the 19th-century staircase.
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 3. The Cour du Bel-Air, with the Hôtel du Bel-Air on the right, where you will find the Musketeers’ Black Staircase, and an outbuilding on the left where you will find other 17th-century staircases.
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
The refusal of protection by the Permanent Delegation was based on multiple errors of assessment. The CRMH based its decision primarily on a 1998 study, the many gaps and errors in which were pointed out by the associations in their appeal against the decision. In fact, it was the Sites & Monuments association that carried out the full historical study that we would have liked to have seen carried out by the DRAC, and which clearly demonstrates the heritage importance of this complex. This was confirmed by a visit to the site, which revealed the beauty not only of the nineteenth-century staircase, now under threat, but of all the seventeenth-century buildings and staircases, which are clearly a very important part of Old Paris, not to mention the cellars.
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- 6. The Black Musketeers’ Staircase
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
With the permission of Sites & Monuments we are posting here this appeal signed by four associations [4] which includes a detailed study that we can only summarise here.
The historical interest is fivefold:
1) This is a group of buildings constructed from 1637 onwards: the Hôtel du Bel Air (Fig. 2) and its outbuildings (nos. 56 and 58 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine); this hotel belonged to Robert Chuppin.. The CRMH only presents him as a simple "building contractor active under Louis XIII", thus omitting, whether knowingly or not, to specify that he was, as the associations point out: "the great builder of the "Pont Rouge" in Paris (1632) - the wooden ancestor of the Pont Royal", one of the greatest master carpenters under Louis XIII and that he made "the Hôtel du Bel Air and its outbuildings" [...] his own home and that of his children".
2) In the second half of the 17th century, the Hôtel du Bel Air and its outbuildings (nos. 56 and 58 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine) were home to the king’s musketeers, who were housed in private homes, as attested by three royal orders dated 13 July, 22 October and 12 November 1668. This made it possible to wait for the construction of a barracks in the rue de Charenton, which was intended for them. In the Hôtel du Bel Air, you can see the beautiful 17th-century staircase known as the "Black Musketeers’ Staircase" (ill. 4 to 6) and thus described in several guides to Paris since the beginning of the 20th century.
3) It is a memorial to the work of 19th-century cabinet-makers, an essential activity for this district throughout its history, dating back to the Middle Ages. The 19th-century staircase, which is to be demolished to build the lift, is a particularly interesting reminder of these craftsmen’s workshops and homes.
4) It is also a place of remembrance of the Commune and the many revolutionary episodes in Paris: "from the clashes at the corner of rue de Charonne and Faubourg Saint-Antoine on 4 Prairial an III (24 May 1785) between Thermidoriens and rioters raised in the Jacobin sections of Saint-Antoine to the bloody battles that took place at the same location, opposite 58, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, during the Semaine Sanglante of the Paris Commune". The fact that the Commune was also a particularly destructive episode for Paris clearly does not justify erasing its history.
5) Lastly, it is a place of remembrance linked to the persecution of Jews during the Occupation, as demonstrated in particular by several Mémorial de la Shoah records attesting to the presence on the premises of Jews working at 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine who were deported to Auschwitz. It is true that this issue does not seem to be at the heart of the concerns of the decision-makers, who want people to be able to picnic above the tomb of the unknown deportee (see articles)...
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- 6. The Black Musketeers’ Staircase
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 6. The Black Musketeers’ Staircase
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
None of this was pointed out by the "Conservation régionale des monuments historiques" to the Permanent Delegation of the CRPA (where it has a very large majority), even though this set of historic references would be sufficient to justify listing as a historic monument, which, let us remember, applies to buildings and parts of buildings presenting "a sufficient interest in history or art to make its preservation desirable". The minutes of the standing delegation state that the curator of historic monuments in charge of this dossier gave an unfavourable opinion because she considered that "by its configuration and its history, this complex falls [...] under protection for its town planning and not under protection as a historic monument". More seriously, the opinion of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (ABF) concludes thus: "Even if this ensemble is interesting and characteristic of the Faubourg, it does not appear to be of sufficient interest for protection as a historic monument, as the existing measures in the PLU [Local Town Planning Plan] are likely to ensure the protection of this urban ensemble". It is truly astonishing to hear this froman architect supposedly specialised in heritage who should know the law a little better: the PLU is in no way sufficient protection because it does not concern the interiors; only a "Plan de Sauvegarde et de Mise en Valeur", an "inscription" or a "classement" could protect them.
While it is true that in this area, as in many others in the Faubourg, urban planning protection is preferable, this can only be achieved through the creation of a "Site Patrimonial Remarquable" with a "Plan de Sauvegarde et de Mise en Valeur"...
It should also be noted that in the official report, the "Conservateur régional des monuments historiques" "also points out that the applicant is an association and that the opinion of the co-ownership is not known at this time". This remark is highly significant: from now on, the DRACs require the agreement of the owner of the monument before an "inscription". This does not comply with the law, which in no way requires this agreement for this kind of historic monument listing, which an owner wishing to destroy or alter his building would be very unlikely to give...
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- 7. The 19th-century staircase of the cabinet-makers’ workshops/houses
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 8. The 19th-century staircase of the cabinet-makers’ workshops/houses
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
As well as their historical interest, many of these buildings are of artistic interest, particularly, as we said, the staircases, which a few photographs will suffice to demonstrate. Here are a few views of the nineteenth-century staircase (ill. 7 to 10) which the curator of historic monuments claims "does not warrant protection as a historic monument", even adding "that it is one of the many representatives of this Parisian typology". Once again, this is false: we know of no staircase of this type [5] that was built thus, with its highly original landings designed to give cabinet-makers enough room to raise and lower the pieces of furniture. It should also be noted that the space to install the lift without completely altering the staircase existed, at the back of the shaft. However, the co-ownership authorised one of the occupants to build a room behind a wall built for the occasion, which occupies the space on the ground floor (ill. 9 and 10).
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- 9. The 19th-century staircase in the cabinet-makers’ workshops/houses on the ground floor: on the right, the wall has been moved forward, whereas the space at the back would allow the lift to be installed without damaging the staircase.
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 10. The 19th-century staircase in the cabinet-makers’ workshops and homes: on the right, the landing where the lift could be installed without affecting the staircase.
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
We have already illustrated the 1637 staircase nicknamed the "Black Musketeers’ Staircase" and these photos, once again, are sufficient to demonstrate its heritage interest, which also characterises the three other 17th and early 18th century staircases found in the hotel’s other outbuildings (ill. 12 and 13).
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- 11. 17th-century staircase in one of the hotel’s outbuildings
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 12. Another 17th-century staircase in one of the Hôtel’s outbuildings.
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
We would add to this - which we were unable to see - the old cross-vaulted cellars (ill. 14 and 15). Here again, their existence has not been reported by the "Conservation régionale des monuments historiques".
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- 13. 17th-century cellar at 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine
Photo: Sites & Monuments - See the image in its page
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- 14. 17th-century cellar at 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine
Image published in "Le faubourg Saint-Antoine - un double visage"
(L’Inventaire, Cahiers du
Patrimoine N° 51, 1998) - See the image in its page
This lack of historical knowledge, these innumerable omissions, which prevented the Permanent Delegation from making a decision on a complete dossier, prompted the heritage protection associations to lodge an ex gratia appeal, accompanied by a complete historical dossier, which we are putting online here so that everyone can form their own opinion. They insist that there has been a manifest error of assessment, also due to "the lack of knowledge of the role of the Ministry of Culture and the ABF in the work to raise the roofs and apply new rendering to the façades, work that was dedicated by the Ministry of Culture, carried out on the site in accordance with the rules of the art and supervised over forty years ago by the ABF in order to protect the courtyard of honour". Unlike today’s DRAC, in the past the Ministry of Culture had always taken care, by relying on the legislation governing the surrounding area (and even though the two courtyards are not really visible from the surrounding historic monuments), to control what was done there in order to avoid altering the overall appearance. To say now, as the "Conservateur régional des monuments historiques" has done, that "the harmonisation [of the courtyard and facades] has caused them to lose their historic character" is quite simply untrue, and reflects a lack of understanding - yet another - of the work of his predecessors.
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- 15. Vault of a 17th-century cellar at 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
Photo: Sites & Monuments - See the image in its page
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- 16. Vault of a 17th-century cellar at 56 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, showing the recently installed breeze-block walls on the left and right.
Photo: Sites & Monuments - See the image in its page
So let’s sum up this case. It is the associations that are warning of the threats to this heritage complex, which should long ago have been protected as a historic monument. It was the associations that carried out the historical study that demonstrated its value. It is the associations that are appealing when the permanent delegation has rejected the application for protection, following an erroneous and incomplete presentation by the "Conservation régionale des monuments historiques"... The latter bears a very heavy responsibility by having deliberately sought to prevent protection by failing to carry out its historical research. For once, the Prefect, alerted by the associations, has played a positive role in this affair by requesting that the case nevertheless be examined at the plenary session of the CRPA, which is due to meet on 13 June. The fact remains that, since 4 October, the cellars have begun to be cemented with breeze blocks (ill. 16 and 17) and the construction of the lift - which de facto entails the destruction of the staircase - has been approved. Once again, we see that the French system for protecting historic monuments no longer works, or works very poorly. It’s high time the Ministry of Culture looked into these shortcomings, otherwise whole swathes of our memory will disappear, just as they did in the disastrous 1960s and 1970s.
We’ll be coming back shortly to the need to finally create the "Sites patrimoniaux remarquables" that are needed in Paris, including the Faubourg Saint-Antoine area, which would be the perfect way to protect such buildings, both inside and out. It should be noted that on 19 July 2022, François Vauglin, the mayor of the 11th arrondissement, despite being a member of the municipal majority, wrote to Emmanuel Grégoire, the first deputy mayor of Paris in charge of urbanism, asking him to consider creating a "Plan de Sauvegarde et de Mise en Valeur" [6]. However, we know that the latter does not want to hear about it. It should be pointed out that its agreement is not necessary in this case either. The State can impose the creation of a "Site patrimonial remarquable" on the City Hall. But for that to happen, the State would have to want to protect Paris.
