As part of the international exchanges promoted by PROCULTHER-NET, a Croatian delegation, made up of 2 experts from the Civil Protection Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior and 3 curators from the Ministry of Culture and Media, visited France from 8 to 10 April to meet the French key stakeholders involved in cultural heritage protection and rescue.
Author: Marie Courselaud, Preventive Collections Care and Conservation Officer at the Center for Research and Restoration for French Museums (C2RMF) and President of French Blue Shield
A series of emblematic meetings and visits scheduled by the Ministry of Interior of France, allowed for a fruitful exchange between the French experts involved in cultural heritage protection and the Croatian delegation.
The delegation visited the National Centre for Research and Restoration for French Museums - C2RMF to discover the work carried out at national level concerning the implementation of safeguarding plans, and the activities of the French Blue Shield, particularly focused on the operational side. It was also an opportunity to meet the centre’s professionals, namely experts belonging to the restoration sector.
Then, the one-week tour continued to the Oise Departmental Fire and Rescue Service, which presented the activities of its cultural heritage mission and shared its views on the necessary collaboration between emergency services and culture. A number of subjects were tackled, including digital tools to support fire fighters while operating in emergency, and a discussion with the heritage expert provided an opportunity to review the role of these professionals within fire-fighting units, particularly concerning the handling of art works and CH assets during evacuation. The Croatian delegation members were also able to present their project: “Mitigating fire risk in the historic city of Trogir”.
The delegation then went to the Yvelines Departmental Fire and Rescue Service to discuss the role of firefighters in the development of a safeguarding plan module in collaboration with curators and C2RMF. This was also an opportunity to discover the equipment specifically dedicated to the safeguarding of assets and their sharing in terms of operational coordination. Finally, the Versailles Palace safeguarding plan was illustrated, providing an opportunity to discuss the operational strategy defined for this prestigious site.