France: St Emilion debts force landmark sale
France: St Emilion debts force landmark sale
Oct 31, 2011 6
(Decanter) - Saint Emilion is being forced to sell off local landmarks in order to pay off massive debts. The medieval town, which attracts over a million visitors per year, counts only 2,000 local taxpayers among its permanent citizens and has debts four times the size of comparably-sized communes in the region.
According to figures from the regional public accountant, the Chambre Régionale des Comptes, its debts amount to €2,744 per inhabitant.
The town hall is now looking to sell some of its most prestigious monuments, including the Site des Cordeliers, which is occupied by a private company making a sparkling crémant wine, but is located inside a classified historical monument.
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