| |
The reopening to
the public of the Galerie d’Apollon in
the Louvre Museum provides an opportunity to admire the
quite exceptional skills involved in its restoration.
In this issue of Energies, Total would like to
pay tribute to all who contributed to this signal achievement.
The restoration of the Galerie d’Apollon
also gave Total an opportunity to become one of Louvre’s
major corporate sponsors. The Group’s employees
can all be justly proud of this public recognition of
its support for the Louvre. The successful restoration
has been a high point in the Group’s ongoing relationship
with the world’s largest museum, where six million
visitors come each year to learn more about past civilizations.
But going beyond this major event –the culmination
of two years of careful preparation and three years of
actual restoration, carried out by world-renowned specialists–
we would like to stress the importance that Total places
on its commitment to this important project carried out
by the Louvre. The reopening of the Galerie d’Apollon
is one more milestone in a |
|
sponsorship policy
that is solidly grounded in Group tradition.
The Group’s engineers and technicians have always
worked to gain a better understanding of the Earth in
order to discover and tap its resources more efficiently.
In doing so, they have made every effort to safeguard
any vestiges of past civilizations and examples of any
exceptional minerals they have found, thus helping –in
cooperation with archeologists and scientists– to
enrich the cultural heritage of countries where Total
operates. The Group matches its concern for cultural heritage
with respect for the natural environment and a desire
to help the people of host countries to improve their
living conditions. Over the years, this commitment by
the men and women of Total has been translated into a
long series of widespread and anonymous initiatives, a
tradition that has left its mark on our corporate culture.
In line with this, Total’s corporate sponsorship
policy has two main priorities: the preservation of cultural
and natural heritage, and social solidarity. |
|
The restoration
of the Galerie d’Apollon, described in
this issue of Energies, is the splendid result
of a policy that we will be pursuing even more vigorously
in future years, in partnership with the Louvre in particular.
Indeed, Total has just agreed to sponsor another major
project to be undertaken by the museum: the creation of
a department of Islamic Art. And what more fitting endeavor
could we wish for than to help celebrate the civilization
of the very region that was Total’s birthplace?
Thierry Desmarest,
Chairman and CEO Total |
