Institut national du patrimoine (INP)

Presentation

The Institut national du patrimoine (INP) is an institution of higher education under the supervision of the ministère de la Culture. Heir to the École nationale du patrimoine and the IFROA (Institut français de restauration des œuvres d'art), it carries out a singular mission in France: training the two great families of professionals who care for collections and monuments — conservateurs and restaurateurs du patrimoine.

The institution is organized into two departments. The département des conservateurs, in Paris, welcomes the successful candidates of civil service competitive examinations (État and, in partnership, collectivités territoriales) for professional training applied to the specialties of heritage: archaeology, archives, inventory, monuments historiques, museums, scientific, technical and natural heritage.

The département des restaurateurs, located in Aubervilliers, recruits through an entrance competitive examination (notably following classes préparatoires artistiques) and offers a long curriculum, culminating in a diploma conferring the grade of master and authorizing intervention on public collections. The specialties notably cover arts du feu (ceramics, glass, enamel, metal), arts graphiques et le livre, furniture, painting, photography, sculpture and textiles.

Strengths

The teaching closely combines humanities (art history, archaeology, heritage law), materials science and studio practice, with numerous fieldwork projects, internships and work on real artworks. The INP also develops applied research activity, continuing education and international cooperation, and publishes works related to conservation-restoration.