When a historic monument is opened to the public, owners can, under certain conditions, benefit from a deduction from taxable income for expenses related to the property. Above all, opening a historic monument to the public promotes public interest in national heritage. It is also a way of actively contributing to the cultural influence of the country. To opening a historic monument to visitors, it should respect several rules.
Conditions for opening historic monuments
A building is considered open when the public is allowed to visit at least :
– either 40 days during the months of July, August and September (whether they are bankholidays or not).
– or 50 days a year with 25 weekend days (bankholidays and Sundays) from the months of April to September included.
Procedures and steps to follow
Opening to visits must of course be real and effective, that is to say the access conditions required by the owner shouldn’t be too restrictive. Namely the visit can’t be subject to making an appointment beforehand except when organization problems of the visit occur.
A declaration of opening to the public – giving notably the conditions, dates and opening hours- must be made each year to the tourist services of DIREECTE (the regional direction linked to the Official Regional Delegation to Tourism) before 1th of February. The owners must provide the public with the opening conditions of their residences « by all suitable means ». Which means namely that the visiting terms be billed at the entrance of the monument and that information to the tourist information boards or other organizations publishing or offering tourist brochures or leaflets on the department or region be given. Opening can be limited to outdoors in case of a visit itinerary organized by the owner, particularly when the interior is of no specific interest.
