European Historic Houses

Young Heritage Entrepreneur Award 2022

06. 05. 2022, Brussels

Young Heritage Entrenpreneur 2022 – Vianney-Marie Audemard d’Alançon

In 2022, European Historic Houses identified a gap in the sector: there was a lack in acknowledgement of the efforts by the younger generations working on restoring and preserving historic buildings and cultural heritage in Europe. That is where the idea arose of an award for young heritage entrepreneurs.

With NextGen candidates from 14 countries presenting their own projects, the jury had the pleasure to announce the winner at the Networking Dinner in the annual General Assembly in Brussels: Vianney-Marie Audemard d’Alançon’s restoration of Château de la Barben for his acquisition and restoration of Château de la Barben, the oldest castle in the Provence region of France. Within the castle, he has developed the Rocher Mistral immersive experience, with animations and historical shows to promote the history of the region and the country to as many people as possible. The project included a programme for the protection of fauna and flora, as well as an agricultural programme. 

Rocher Mistral takes up the challenge of restoring this essential heritage in the Provence region and created, directly or indirectly, more than 400 jobs, thus contributing to the economic development of rural Provence. With original creations, Rocher Mistral tells the story of Provencal history and culture in a way that is unique in the world and developing an ambitious environmental and agroecological project to safeguard biodiversity and know-how. In addition to breathing new life into this 1,000-year-old castle, the project is part of an incredible economic recovery plan for a total investment of 30 million euros.

Vianney d’Alançon accepted the award with a touching speech, to which he added:

“This successful event demonstrates that heritage is appealing and has a strong entrepreneurial reach. It is a unique occasion to be amongst entrepreneurs and people who are passionate about heritage. The European Historic Houses’ initiative is unprecedented, innovative, and forward-looking.”

You can learn more about the winning entrepreneurial project here

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