Saint Colomban European Cultural Center

For more than twenty years, the Saint Colomban Abbey non-profit-making, of which I am president, has been responsible for the administrative, financial and building management of the abbey and its 8500m² of floor-area, property of the Diocese of Besançon.

In 2018, the Diocese informed us that it no longer wished to assume its responsibility as owner. The risk is that this prestigious building is the prey of real estate investors more interested in the return on investments than in the history of this heritage and little concerned with extending it into our XXI century.

Today, the abbey welcomes cultural, religious, artistic, sporting groups, ... It also welcomes each year and since more than 20 years, the festival of Pluralies on 4 days of July, the festival of the bread in May, the demonstration Art and Inheritance in September, the fair with the books in October and in 2021, the salon du livre d’auteur, the festival 15 hours- non stop-Orgue and Gregorian songs. It has 38 rooms for two, a restaurant service, a large park of 700m², a garden of 5000m² and prestigious salons. It also houses a catholic college of 300 students and all this in the heart of the historic city.

The Saint Colomban Abbey non-profit-making wishes to make of this exceptional place a European cultural center based on Art, European culture, heritage and its history proposing hosting artists, internships for students, master class, dance, theatre, music and plastic arts school, internships, training courses, seminars, exhibitions, international congresses, arboricultural and landscape experimentation, land art internships, permaculture, concerts.

Creation of content using photogrammetry, laser and lidar to provide augmented reality tours

But also, with the concern of preserving the memory and history of this building by privileging the conservation, the restoration and the valorization supported by the scientific and university research.

All of this necessarily requires investments to improve reception, comfort, restoration, energy transition and compliance with RMP standards.

It is obvious that the acquisition of the abbey would be essential to implement these projects. It is therefore necessary to carry out a diagnosis of the current state of affairs and an evaluation.

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