It has spanned the centuries, and it is one of the 100 departmental sites in France to benefit from financial aid, for the 7th edition of the Heritage Mission, in the form of a lottery. On the occasion of the launch of this edition this Monday, the winner is revealed in Gironde: it is the fortified house of Prat, in Générac.
A welcome help
The principle of this Heritage Mission: a scratch game where each ticket purchased must allow a certain amount to be donated to the restoration of monuments in danger. The walls of this building, built in the 13th century to defend Blaye, really need it.because they are about to collapse. Surrounded by water, the fortress was rebuilt during the Wars of Religion, then transformed into a farm after the Revolution. But in 1997, when the current owners bought it, it was almost in ruins. Despite their many renovations, the walls have suffered from the times they have been through.
For the moment, the owners do not know the amount of aid granted. Their only certainty: it will be welcome to contribute to the approximately 214,000 euros of work needed, according to the estimate of the Heritage Foundation.
Walls in danger
“We were very happy with this announcement, rejoices Marie-Laure Dietrich, owner of the place with her husband. It is not the main building that needs repair, because it is quite solid and has stood the test of time, but the curtain walls. That is to say the surrounding walls which have suffered, because they have never been restored, and the building is surrounded by water.“They are now threatening the integrity of the building, and are starting to lose their exterior cladding.”We said to ourselves that we had to act!” continue Marie-Laure Dietrich.
With her husband, they therefore looked for funding, hence this application, which should allow them “to save these surrounding walls“.
News also appreciated by Philippe Dubau, the mayor of this small town with some 500 residents: “Here we don’t have much, so we are happy that this castle is alive. Once it is well signposted, it will attract people, because this building is really pretty! Maybe that will have an impact on the town“.