France moves to acquire de Gaulle's residence for public heritage preservation
France pursues state acquisition of de Gaulle's La Boisserie residence through historic monument classification.
Event / Society
La Boisserie Historic Monument Classification
French state initiates historic monument classification procedure for La Boisserie, General de Gaulle's former residence in Haute-Marne, expected completion by end of 2026. Aimed at preserving property and preventing family disputes over its status as national heritage.
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2026-09-19 to 2026-11-04 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 19 Sept, 18:12 UTC
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What happened
President Macron advocates state ownership of La Boisserie, de Gaulle's former residence
French President Emmanuel Macron has consistently maintained that La Boisserie, the former residence of General Charles de Gaulle located in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises in Haute-Marne, should ultimately be owned and managed by the French state. Macron wishes the property to be administered by the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN), similar to Notre-Dame de Paris or the Panthéon, under the moral authority of the Order of Liberation. Macron does not want the property to be managed by the Haute-Marne departmental council.
Haute-Marne department agrees to state purchase of La Boisserie
As of April 2026, the president of the Haute-Marne departmental council, after meeting with President Macron's advisors, agreed to support a purchase of La Boisserie by the French state rather than pursue a competing acquisition offer from the department.
Historic monument classification proceeding for La Boisserie
The French state has initiated a historic monument classification procedure for La Boisserie that could be completed before the end of 2026. The classification process aims to preserve the property and prevent family disputes from resulting in the estate being lost to the French nation. The property contains original furnishings, de Gaulle's desk, and autographed letters from prominent contemporary world leaders, considered to have inestimable cultural value.
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