Press Release

WMF Celebrates the Completion of Three Major Projects in France

World Monuments Fund (WMF) has recently completed three important projects in France, initiated by WMF Europe: the 17th-century Choeur des Religieuses (or nuns’ choir) in the Couvent de la Visitation in Moulins, the 18th century Salon de Musique in the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal in Paris, and the 18th-century Grande Singerie in the Château de Chantilly. “These three projects, all spectacular cultural heritage sites, demonstrate the effectiveness of international partnerships in historic preservation,” said WMF President Bonnie Burnham. “Now that they have been rescued, restored, and opened to the public, these masterpieces will inspire future generations.”

“The year 2008 saw the completion of three major projects that are part of WMF’s Fine European Interiors Restoration Program,” said Bertrand du Vignaud, president of World Monuments Fund Europe. “These important French monuments, now restored at the initiative of WMF, were not in good condition, their original beauty seriously altered by time and neglect. Two of the interiors, the Choeur des Religieuses in Moulins and the Salon de Musique in the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, were not even open to the public and known only by a very limited group of scholars. Now not only are they accessible to the public, but they have also opened new and very interesting perspectives on 17th-and 18th-century French color schemes, techniques, and décor.”

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