France's 2026 Heritage Lottery selects 18 regional sites including Fort Boyard and medieval chapels

The French Heritage Foundation revealed the 2026 Heritage Lottery selection, which features 18 sites chosen from a pool of 650 endangered nominations, reflecting a mix of military, religious, industrial, and rural heritage. Religious locations comprise 28% of the list, including the 15th-century Notre-Dame du Kreisker chapel in Brittany and the 1930 Antana-Bé mosque in Mayotte. Fortifications and castles account for 22%, highlighting the Royal Castle of Senlis, which suffered damage from floods in 2024, and Fort Boyard located in Charente-Maritime. Sites related to industry, agriculture, and residences make up 28%, with notable examples like the 19th-century Valette farm in Mayenne and the Beaufonds sugar factory in Réunion. Criteria for selection included both heritage significance and condition. An additional departmental list of 102 sites will be revealed on August 31, 2026.