Les boiseries d'une chapelle du XVIIIe siècle à l'encan
A set of 18th-century chapel woodwork is set to be auctioned in Bordeaux on June 17, with the sale taking place in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. The buyer will be required to dismantle the paneling on site. The auction listing on Interenchères includes photos showing the heritage value of the ensemble, which appears to be a small private oratory. The heritage association Sites & Monuments investigated the lot using other items in the same sale—portraits of the Destanne de Bernis family—and traced the woodwork's likely origin.
This sale matters because it highlights the ongoing risk of heritage dispersal in France, where historic architectural elements can be sold piecemeal at auction without public oversight. The involvement of Sites & Monuments underscores the vulnerability of privately owned historic interiors and the need for stronger protections. The article raises questions about the preservation of cultural patrimony when such items enter the commercial market.