Journées du Matrimoine
Discovering the cultural heritage of women
About Journées du Matrimoine
The Journées du Matrimoine: Making the Great Women of History Visible
The Journées du Matrimoine were born in 2015 from a simple and striking observation: during the Heritage Days, the places, works, and figures celebrated are overwhelmingly male. The association HF Île-de-France, committed to gender equality in arts and culture, decided to fill this gap by creating an event dedicated to the cultural heritage of women.
Matrimoine, a Unifying Concept
The word matrimoine — the feminine counterpart to patrimoine (heritage) — refers to the cultural heritage transmitted by women: their works, their achievements, their contribution to the history of arts and society. The Journées du Matrimoine aim to bring out of oblivion the women architects, composers, musicians, painters, sculptors, writers, choreographers, and scientists whose achievements have been made invisible by official history.
Each edition highlights a leading figure — a woman whose work and journey embody the values of matrimoine. In 2025, it was the architect Renée Gailhoustet (1929-2023), a pioneer of social housing, who was celebrated.
A Rich and Free Cultural Program
For an entire weekend, the Journées du Matrimoine offer a free and open-to-all program: guided tours of buildings designed by women architects, concerts by forgotten female composers, readings by rediscovered female authors, exhibitions, artistic installations, theater and dance performances, film screenings, and conferences. Events take place in museums, libraries, theaters, conservatories, and public spaces in Paris and the Île-de-France region.
A Growing Movement
Since their creation in Paris, the Journées du Matrimoine have expanded to many regions in France — Normandy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, Centre-Val-de-Loire, Reunion Island — and internationally (Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy). Attendance has increased each year, driven by growing media coverage and increasingly strong institutional support. In 2026, for the first time, the Ministry of Culture officially integrates the term matrimoine into the title of the European Heritage Days, now Journées du Matrimoine et du Patrimoine.
Journées du Matrimoine — edition 2026
The Journées du Matrimoine 2026 will take place from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20 in Paris and Île-de-France. Organized by the HF Île-de-France association, this edition is part of the « Matrimoine et Xatrimoine » movement and coincides with the official recognition of the term « matrimoine » by the Ministère de la Culture in the title of the European Heritage Days, now the Journées du Matrimoine et du Patrimoine.
2026 Edition — September 18 to 20
The Journées du Matrimoine 2026 will take place from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20, echoing the European Heritage Days. For the first time, the Ministère de la Culture officially includes the term « matrimoine » in the title of the national event, now Journées du Matrimoine et du Patrimoine — an institutional recognition that crowns more than ten years of mobilization by the HF Île-de-France association and its partners.
Matrimoine et Xatrimoine
The 2026 edition broadens its scope with the notion of « xatrimoine », a neologism that highlights figures who have emancipated themselves from gender assignment — non-binary, transgender, lesbian individuals — who, throughout history, have challenged norms and proposed other ways of living and creating. The program, as every year, combines guided tours, exhibitions, shows, concerts by female composers, readings by female authors, screenings, and conferences, in museums, libraries, theaters, conservatories, and public spaces in Paris and Île-de-France.
An emblematic venue in 2026
Among the anticipated events, the Palais de la Femme (94 rue de Charonne, Paris 11e) celebrates its centenary and offers a program designed around the memory of the place and the women who have shaped its history since its foundation in 1926.
The complete program — free and open to all — will be announced in autumn 2026 on the website lematrimoine.fr, where a search engine allows filtering events by location, date, and type.
Highlights Journées du Matrimoine 2026
- Dates: September 18 to 20, 2026
- « Matrimoine et Xatrimoine » Edition: cultural heritage of women and individuals emancipated from gender assignment
- Official integration of the term « matrimoine » by the Ministère de la Culture (Journées du Matrimoine et du Patrimoine)
- Free programming throughout Paris and Île-de-France
- Centenary of the Palais de la Femme (Paris 11e) with a dedicated program
- Full program to be announced in autumn on lematrimoine.fr
Prices Journées du Matrimoine 2026
Practical information — Journées du Matrimoine
Practical Information
Access
The Journées du Matrimoine events take place in numerous locations in Paris and the Île-de-France region: museums, libraries, theaters, conservatories, historical monuments, and public spaces.
Prices
All events are free.
Program
The complete program is available on the website lematrimoine.fr, with a search engine by location, date, and type of event.
Practical Advice
- Consult the online program before your visit to plan your itinerary.
- Some tours have limited capacity: arrive early.
- The event is open to all audiences, including families.
- Thematic tours are offered to discover the matrimoine neighborhood by neighborhood.
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Vous avez repéré une erreur ou une information manquante ?
Aidez-nous à garder cette fiche à jour. Toute proposition est relue par notre équipe avant publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No review yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Where does it take place — Journées du Matrimoine
Divers lieux à Paris et en Île-de-France