Preserving heritage is not merely about saving stones, decorative schemes or gardens. It also means restoring their purpose and presence. It is in this spirit that the Mansart Foundation, a public-interest umbrella foundation recognised as such in 2005, works in the service of France's architectural, landscape and artistic heritage. Heir to a commitment first initiated in the 1980s around the Château de Maintenon, it has grounded its work in the long view of restoration and transmission. At that scale, preservation does not mean freezing places in time, but giving sites of memory a future by reintegrating them into cultural and educational life.
A DISTINCTIVE APPROACH
That vision unfolds across several emblematic sites, including the Château and Trianon de Bagatelle, Villa Windsor, Villa Amélia and the Château de Maintenon. On the northern edge of the Bois de Boulogne, the foundation is developing a visitor route designed to span three centuries of history, from the 18th to the 20th century, creating a dialogue between interiors, furnishings, the memory of the sites and temporary exhibitions. This sensitive reading of heritage is matched by in-depth historical and architectural studies, the use of master craftspeople and the integration of contemporary environmentally conscious solutions.
WHAT IT MEANS TO KEEP HERITAGE ALIVE
The Mansart Foundation also stands apart in its refusal to treat heritage as something kept under glass. Its social and educational mission is to pass on the history of these places to new audiences through training projects, site visits and workshops. Although several of its properties are still undergoing restoration, the foundation continues to keep them alive. At Bagatelle, visits are organised for schools and associations, alongside the European Heritage Days and jazz dinner concerts, while the gardens of Villa Amélia and Villa Windsor host the 'Jardins, Jardin' festival. A philanthropy defined by continuity and enthusiasm, one that restores both breath and resonance to heritage.