# data.culture.gouv.fr
**Wikidata**: [Q115157615](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115157615)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/data-culture-gouv-fr

## Summary
data.culture.gouv.fr is the official open data platform for the French Ministry of Culture. Launched in December 2016, the website serves as a central repository for public cultural data in France. It is operated by the Ministry of Culture and powered by the Opendatasoft software engine.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Subtitled "plate-forme de données ouvertes du ministère de la Culture" (Open data platform of the Ministry of Culture).
- **Launch Date:** December 2016 (specifically recorded as 2016-12-00).
- **Operator:** Owned by the Ministry of Culture of France.
- **Entity Type:** Classified as a website and an open data portal.
- **Technology:** Built and powered by the Opendatasoft platform.
- **Language:** The primary language of the platform is French.
- **Domain Aliases:** Also known as DataCulture, data.culture, and data.culturecommunication.gouv.fr.
- **URL:** Accessible at https://data.culture.gouv.fr.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary purpose of data.culture.gouv.fr?
A: The platform serves as the central open data portal for the French Ministry of Culture. Its goal is to provide public access to data related to French cultural affairs.

### Q: Who maintains and operates the platform?
A: The website is owned and operated by the Ministry of Culture of France (Ministère de la Culture).

### Q: What technology is used to run the data portal?
A: The portal is powered by Opendatasoft, a specialized software platform used for creating open data portals.

### Q: When was the platform established?
A: data.culture.gouv.fr was launched in December 2016.

## Why It Matters
data.culture.gouv.fr represents a significant step in the digital transformation and transparency of the French government's cultural policies. As the official open data portal for the Ministry of Culture, it acts as the primary bridge between the state's vast cultural databases and the public. By standardizing the release of cultural data, the platform enables researchers, developers, and citizens to analyze trends in French heritage, museum attendance, funding, and artistic creation.

The implementation of this portal fulfills a dual role: it adheres to modern standards of open government by making non-sensitive data publicly accessible, and it fosters innovation by allowing third parties to create applications or studies based on official statistics. The use of the Opendatasoft engine ensures that the data is not only available but also machine-readable and easily visualizable, lowering the barrier to entry for data analysis within the French cultural sector. Its establishment in 2016 marked a formalization of France's commitment to treating data as a public asset within the cultural sphere.

## Notable For
- **Official Government Portal:** It is the designated open data hub specifically for the French Ministry of Culture, distinguishing it from broader French government data portals.
- **Specialized Software Stack:** Unlike custom-built government legacy sites, it utilizes the commercial Opendatasoft platform, ensuring a standardized user experience for data visualization and API access.
- **Historical Naming:** The portal has utilized multiple aliases, including data.culturecommunication.gouv.fr, reflecting changes in the Ministry's official naming conventions over time.
- **Linguistic Focus:** The platform operates primarily in French, tailoring its metadata and interface to the domestic cultural sector.

## Body
### Platform Identity and Scope
data.culture.gouv.fr is classified as both a website and an open data portal. It functions as the digital infrastructure for the dissemination of public information managed by the Ministry of Culture of France. The platform is distinct from the concept of "data culture" in general; it is a specific technical implementation designed to host and share datasets.

### Organizational Ownership
The ownership of the portal is attributed strictly to the Ministry of Culture of France. This ownership implies that the ministry is responsible for the data governance, accuracy, and publication schedule of the datasets found on the site. The content reflects the administrative and operational scope of the ministry.

### Technical Infrastructure
The website is built upon the **Opendatasoft** software engine. This technical choice provides the portal with standard open data functionalities, likely including API access, data visualization tools, and structured metadata export. The platform's inception dates to **December 2016**, indicating the period when the ministry consolidated its open data efforts onto this specific infrastructure.

### Access and Naming
The portal is accessible via the URL `https://data.culture.gouv.fr`. It has been referenced historically by alternative names, including:
- DataCulture
- data.culture
- data.culturecommunication.gouv.fr

The content is presented primarily in the French language, serving the domestic audience and francophone researchers.

## References

1. [Source](https://data.culture.gouv.fr/pages/credits/)
2. [Source](http://www.tmnlab.com/2016/12/08/lancement-de-plateforme-open-data-ministere-de-culture/)