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- Rachida Dati, French Minister of Culture
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
As we always do with new arrivals at the Ministry of Culture, we welcomed the appointment of Rachida Dati, hoping that she would bring about a change in the practices of the Ministry, especially as she hopes one day to become Mayor of Paris.
She had given us a few assurances on issues such as the historic monument classification of the Conservatoire [1] (see articles), that of the Palais de Tokyo, or the abolition of the tax benefits enjoyed by vandals who cut up castles into flats (see this article). The short time she spent at the Ministry did not seem to give her the time to put these good intentions into practice.
On the other hand, all the Parisian issues she had to deal with were dealt with, and each time to the detriment of Paris. The Institut Curie’s Pavillon des Sources (see articles)? Not only has it not been listed, but its protection would obviously no longer be of any interest, since the minister has agreed to include it in the new building, after announcing that it would be moved (which was impossible), which will deprive it of all interest, as well as the environment that was partly preserved, by allowing a building to be built that is too high and in covisibility with the Panthéon.
The awning built on rue Saint-Honoré, which she had promised to have removed because it did not comply with planning permission that should never have been granted (see article), is still in place in front of the Ministry of Culture, as a sort of reminder of her inaction.
The Visitation convent in the 14th arrondissement, a site that includes both religious buildings and a garden that should have been preserved intact, is in the process of being partially demolished to be partly developed without the Ministry having done anything to save it. We should have talked about this battle, but unfortunately we don’t have the time to deal with everything, and many associations have been fighting for it for a long time, including Sites & Monuments, which has devoted many articles to it, to which we refer.
It should be remembered that this convent was first and foremost the victim of the relentless efforts of the Diocese of Paris and Mgr Laurent Ulrich. True to what he had already allowed to happen in Lille (destruction of Saint Joseph’s chapel, sale of the Evangeliary in particular), he is demonstrating once again that he is an enemy of heritage (see article), continuing the long tradition of vandalism in the Church of France.
Rachida Dati has done nothing either, and has not even intervened in the case of the La Rochefoucauld hospital, which is also threatened with being partially subdivided by the APHP (see articles).
Finally, the icing on the cake, the Minister has once again come to the rescue of the Archbishop of Paris, and of Emmanuel Macron whose power is drifting, by shamelessly sitting on the vote of the Commission nationale du patrimoine et de l’architecture concerning the stained glass windows of Notre-Dame (see yesterday’s news item).
Although she is under no obligation to do so, and knowing that she will have to leave her post in a few days’ time, this evening she issued a surrealistic press release that ends as follows:
"The second dossier submitted to the National Commission for examination concerned the intention to create stained glass windows to replace the openings in six chapels in the south aisle of the cathedral.
The National Commission issued an unfavourable opinion on the removal of the stained glass windows by Viollet-le-Duc. The consultation process launched last April to solicit the best artists and master glassmakers will result in a winning project in the autumn. As planned when the process was launched, the National Commission will be consulted again at the end of 2024 to examine the winning project. At that time, it will be able to assess the value of the project for the cathedral".
The minister is forgetting one thing: the CNPA voted as one, and the few members of this committee we were able to speak to all told us that they had never seen such unanimity, after the inspectorate’s rapporteurs had both explained why it was not possible to replace the stained glass windows.
They rejected the very principle of removing them, but the minister claims to be carrying on as if nothing had happened, with plans to have a winning project from the consultation "in the autumn". A team selected from among the five finalists has already withdrawn from the consultation, and says it is determined to respect the CNPA’s vote. This is the joint venture made up of Pascal Convert (artist), Olivier Juteau (master glassmaker) and Maison Lorin (stained glass art). We can only applaud this gesture, which shows a much greater respect for our heritage than that of the minister responsible for its protection.
Not respecting the vote of the CNPA - which could be challenged before an administrative judge since the result was obtained unanimously by the votes cast - she now claims to be consulting it again at the end of 2024 (when she will probably no longer be a minister) to ask them, in essence, whether they might change their minds... The whole thing is preposterous, and it is hard to see what Rachida Dati has to gain from this affair, other than to show herself to be an enemy of Parisian heritage. We already had enough of Anne Hidalgo.