Official Press Releases & Institutional Declarations

Signature of the Five-Year Heritage Partnership Convention with the Commune of Miglos

MIGLOS, ARIÈGE — The Municipal Council of Miglos and the Association de Sauvegarde de l'Église Saint-Hilaire de Norgeat have formalized a landmark five-year technical partnership convention governing the conservation, restoration, and public opening of the historic church of Saint-Hilaire.

Under the terms of this tripartite agreement—endorsed unanimously by the municipal council—the association is officially delegated stewardship responsibilities to execute non-structural masonry consolidations, coordinate diagnostic surveys with regional heritage architects (ABF), and organize cultural educational activities for the public. The convention explicitly establishes that the municipality maintains sovereign public ownership of the monument, while the association operates as its agile civic partner, mobilizing volunteer energy and philanthropic contributions.

"This convention demonstrates the vitality of our rural democracy," stated Mayor of Miglos during the signing ceremony. "By joining hands with the passionate volunteers of the Association de Sauvegarde, we ensure that Saint-Hilaire receives the scientific care and community affection it deserves, preserving our ancestral landmark for future generations without straining the communal budget."

Formal Accreditation as an Organisme d'Intérêt Général & Fiscal Tax-Deductibility Status

FOIX, ARIÈGE — Following comprehensive review by the Departmental Directorate of Public Finances (DDFiP Ariège), the Association de Sauvegarde de l'Église Saint-Hilaire de Norgeat has received formal confirmation of its status as an organization of general interest (organisme d'intérêt général à caractère culturel et patrimonial).

This regulatory recognition empowers the association to deliver official tax deduction receipts (CERFA n° 11580*04) to individual and corporate donors under Articles 200 and 238 bis of the French General Tax Code. Individual donors resident in France may deduct 66% of their voluntary gifts from income tax (within 20% of taxable income), while corporate donors may deduct 60% of their contributions from corporate tax.

"This fiscal milestone provides enormous confidence to our contributors," noted Treasurer Marc Fontanier. "It validates the pure non-commercial character of our mission and allows every citizen to magnify the impact of their personal contribution toward restoring the Romanesque walls of Norgeat."

Award of Regional Heritage Diagnostic Grant by the Departmental Council of Ariège

FOIX, OCCITANIE — The Departmental Council of Ariège has unanimously approved a cultural heritage diagnostic subvention to co-finance our scientific 3D photogrammetry campaign and mineralogical mortar analyses for Saint-Hilaire de Norgeat.

The matching grant, awarded through the Departmental Commission for Rural Heritage and Cultural Animation, acknowledges the rigorous scientific methodology adopted by our association. The diagnostic funds enabled our technical team to engage specialized laser surveying equipment, calibrating millimeter-precise structural displacement models that now serve as the scientific baseline for our multi-year envelope restoration.

Favorable Technical Advisory Issued by DRAC Occitanie for Phase 1 Restoration

TOULOUSE / NORGEAT — The Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC Occitanie - Unité Départementale de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine de l'Ariège) has delivered an official favorable technical notice regarding our association's specifications for the Phase 1 exterior envelope stabilization of Saint-Hilaire.

Following an on-site inspection conducted by the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (ABF), the regional authority commended the association's rigorous insistence on traditional natural hydraulic limes (NHL 2) and compatible local sand aggregates. The technical notice formally validates our methodology for the careful mechanical de-pointing of twentieth-century Portland cement crusts, ensuring that historical schist stones remain intact without scoring or chemical abrasion.

"This formal validation from DRAC Occitanie confirms that our non-profit volunteer work camps operate at the highest standards of French monument conservation," stated Vice-President Pierre Delmas. "It establishes a solid institutional precedent for subsequent phases planned through 2030."

Unanimous Municipal Council Deliberation Authorizing Public Scaffolding & Works

MIGLOS, ARIÈGE — In its regular public session of May 18, 2026, the Municipal Council of Miglos unanimously adopted Deliberation n° DEL-2026-05-18 granting full municipal authorization for the temporary installation of tubular scaffolding and materials staging on the communal public parcel fronting Saint-Hilaire de Norgeat.

The deliberation formally authorizes the association's volunteer teams and licensed scaffolding contractors to occupy the required public perimeter free of municipal occupation taxes (exonération totale de redevance d'occupation du domaine public). The council emphasized the exceptional public utility of the association's actions, noting that the volunteer intervention represents thousands of euros in saved public expenditure while directly revitalizing village social life in Norgeat.

Official Declaration of Constitution & Legal Gazette Insertion

NORGEAT, MIGLOS — In accordance with the provisions of the Law of July 1, 1901, and the Decree of August 16, 1901, the Association de Sauvegarde de l'Église Saint-Hilaire de Norgeat was formally registered with the Prefecture of Ariège in Foix.

Following formal validation of its constituent bylaws and democratic assembly minutes, the association was assigned National Directory Identifier (RNA) W091005989 and SIREN identifier 934 310 731 by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). Notice of creation was officially inserted into the Journal Officiel des Associations et Fondations d'Entreprise. The association's registered office is officially situated at VILLAGE DE NORGEAT, 430 ROUTE DE PIJOL, 09400 MIGLOS, France.

Joint Declaration on Alpine Biodiversity & Monument Stewardship with PNR Pyrénées Ariégeoises

MIGLOS / LA BASTIDE-DE-SÉROU — On Earth Day 2026, the Association de Sauvegarde de l'Église Saint-Hilaire de Norgeat and the Regional Natural Park of the Ariège Pyrenees (PNR Pyrénées Ariégeoises) issued a joint protocol governing eco-conscious monument preservation in high-mountain habitats.

The protocol establishes specific operational safeguards: a strict ban on synthetic biocides and glyphosate for vegetation clearing around stone foundations, seasonal work moratoriums near the belfry during the summer reproduction cycle of the protected Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), and the conservation of dry-stone crevices that provide shelter for endemic alpine reptiles and mosses.

"Heritage restoration and ecological conservation share the identical moral duty: protecting the fragile treasures we have inherited," declared Laurent Vignaux, site logistics coordinator. "This joint charter guarantees that our work in Norgeat honors both human culture and natural biodiversity."