Preserving the Past while Sustaining the Future: Designing a Strategic Blueprint for the Château de Fontainebleau

The case describes how the Château de Fontainebleau in France, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is addressing the challenges facing many historical monuments and heritage sites in a turbulent environment marked by geopolitical issues, the covid pandemic, climate change, energy shortages, and economic uncertainty. These successive crises expose a broader challenge – how to manage in an age of uncertainty. Incremental change is no longer sufficient to achieve the chateau’s objectives; more fundamental change is needed. But how best can it be framed and funded? Ultimately, the essence of the chateau is eternity. Preserving the nation’s history for generations to come – while remaining financially sustainable – is its primary mission. The challenge is therefore to craft a strategy for the entire estate to take account of falling visitor numbers and, more immediately, make plans for the Henri IV wing that has stood empty for decades.