This Saturday, July 8, the municipal council of Nîmes voted in favor of using a public service delegation for the management of Roman monuments from November 1, 2024. The Left, through the voice of the elected communist Vincent Bouget, is against.
The municipal council of Nîmes voted, Saturday July 8, in favor of using a public service delegation for the management of Roman monuments from November 1, 2024. A choice made by the City since 2006 and which it assumes for the cultural and tourist exploitation of the Arena, the Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne.
Since 2021, this DSP has been awarded to Edeis Romanité for a three-year public service concession. This continuation of the DSP beyond 2024, for a substantial period of eight years, is also accompanied by new features.
Certainly, there will be the continuation of the previous missions for the Roman monuments, with, as a bonus, the Maison Carrée which could well be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site next September.
In addition to the operation of the three Roman monuments, the City has added the renovation and development of the Maison Saurel which walkers can see by climbing up to the Tour Magne, in the Jardins de la Fontaine.
The City wants to include Maison Saurel in the Jardins de la Fontaine in the next public service delegation.
This place (150 m2 on the ground floor and two floors of 80 and 50 m2) must “to contribute to enhancing the Jardins de la Fontaine, to constitute a space with a cultural and tourist vocation, possibly accompanied by a bistronomy-type place.”
These choices, Vincent Bouget, elected opposition communist, criticizes: “We still believe that an EPCC (Public Establishment for Cultural Cooperation) would be better suited to guarantee the presence of the State in the preservation and enhancement of such heritage, by integrating the Museum of Romanity.” The left-wing group finds the DSP too long and does not understand why there is not a word on the approach to Unesco for the Maison Carrée.
As for the Maison Saurel integrated into this future DSP, Vincent Bouget wonders: “But what is the relationship between this place and the management of Historic Monuments?” The elected PCF even offers the City to get out of this future DSP the Maison Carrée. There is little chance that she will accede to this request. The left group voted against the principle of this DSP.
