Lyon calls on patronage to restore its Cavaillé-Coll organ
Posted on Nov 18, 2021 8:22 AM
It has an international resonance with organists around the world: the great organ of the Saint-François-de Sales church (Lyon), built in 1880 by the most famous 19th century maker, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Never restored, the twelve-meter-high instrument, listed as a historic monument, has been preserved in its original state. A rarity, but also a peril: the organ is in a worrying state of wear and tear which worsens over the years. This degradation in particular on the mechanics of the notes and the oxidation, silencing some of the 2,600 pipes.
The City of Lyon had included the restoration of the organ in the 4th Heritage Convention signed with the State in 2019, for a provisional budget of 300,000 euros. After the preliminary studies, the scenario of a complete restoration was preferred to an intermediate intervention “to guarantee the archaeological and sound preservation of the instrument”.
Sponsorship charter
The cost of this complete renovation being estimated at 1.1 million euros, the City is launching a call for sponsorship with the objective of raising a third of this amount in private funds. This initiative illustrates a new, more ambitious municipal policy “in terms of collaborative funding”: amplifying the actions already undertaken – in the sports, cultural and events sectors – and extending patronage and sponsorship “to new areas, including heritage preservation. remarkable building ”. But also to youth, solidarity, revegetation and biodiversity.
Thus, around twenty other events, projects or heritage sites can already be donated: Re Lyon Nous, the Water and Rivers Festival, the planting of trees, the renovation of the small greenhouses in the park of the Tête d’Or and the salons of the Town Hall, as well as the solidarity laundry and intergenerational shared housing projects of the CCAS.
After the creation of a Patronage mission, a charter of values will be proposed to the next municipal council to frame the exchanges between the town hall and companies.