Since 2002, IESA arts&culture has been associated with the Vielles Maisons Françaises association to reward the cultural animation of a heritage site.
The Vieilles Maisons Françaises (VMF) Prize is awarded each year to buildings that are not protected as Historic Monuments but are of major interest for History and Art History. The award is granted by a commission made up of professionals.
Château de Bosmelet
For the tourist promotion of French heritage
The owners of the Château de Bosmelet are being offered by IESA arts&culture a 4-month training course, a tourism development study, and a check worth €2,300 to improve the welcome of visitors. By offering a tourism development study carried out by students of the Master’s in Heritage and Cultural Tourism and a year of training in Cultural Mediation and Production, IESA arts&culture works for the enhancement of French heritage and its transmission.
The Château de Bosmelet, located in the heart of the Pays de Caux between Rouen and the Alabaster Coast and listed as a historic monument since 1966, is a magnificent example of Louis XIII architecture. It was acquired in 2016 by Alain Germain, who has since opened it to the public.
The current château was built in 1632 on the ruins of an 11th-century fortress whose foundations can still be found in the cellars. The château was spared during the Revolution and again during the war of 1870. It later became an important launch ramp for the Germans' V1 missiles designed to bomb London. In the spring of 1943, Colonel Hollard informed the Allies of the enemy’s strategy. In February 1944, the Allied air forces bombed the site 28 times, dropping 200 bombs, two of which hit the château. The park suffered serious damage and the Bosmelet ramp never launched its missiles.
The restoration work
A first phase of work, notably including the rehabilitation of the château’s first floor (floors, partitions, doors). Significant restoration remains to be done due to lack of maintenance and the partial state of abandonment in which the château had been left. Masonry, carpentry, roofing, and framework are on the agenda for the next renovation phase.
Château de Chemery
This year, the Château de Chemery won the prize. IESA arts&culture offers it a training program as well as a tourism development study, carried out by first-year students of the Master in Heritage and Cultural Tourism under the supervision of Pierre Chandès, a specialist in the economic evaluation of a cultural event and in support for the cultural development of a region.
As part of this study, the heritage students visited the Château de Chemery, IESA-VMF Prize 2016 last October 19. The castle’s owners, Axel and Cécile Fontaine, gave them an owner’s tour, part of which is currently a guesthouse and the other part of which will be turned into a museum.
A lovely discovery for our students, who had the chance to put into practice the knowledge acquired during their 5-year program.