What is the appellation Musée de France?
The appellation “Museum of France”, created by the law of January 4, 2002, considers “any permanent collection composed of goods whose conservation and presentation are of public interest and organized for the knowledge, education and pleasure of the public” (Art. L. 410-1.).
The “museum law” of 2002 allowed an emancipation of the communities and is above all a decentralizing text “which aims at respecting the freedom of choice of the moral persons owners of the collections of museums.”
The designation allows museums to obtain technical, scientific and financial support from the State and to be part of a strong network composed of 1218 museums, 61 of which belong to the State.
Advisors for museums, present in each regional directorate of cultural affairs (DRAC), are in charge of implementing the national policy for museums: instruction of requests for the appellation “musées de France”, files for the withdrawal of the appellation, projects of renovation or construction of museums, etc.
A museum that owns a “Musée de France” collection must meet various criteria to obtain this designation. In particular, the institution must commit itself to conservation, restoration and enrichment of its collections. The museum is directed by a scientific staff from the local or national cultural sector and has a network with other museums and an educational service. Finally, the institution must keep an up-to-date inventory of its collections and draw up a scientific and cultural project (SCP), which sets out its major orientations.