Visit of the National Library of France (BnF) - Arsenal website

Name: Visit of the National Library of France (BnF) - Arsenal website
Start: 2023-09-17T10:00:00+02:00
End: 2023-09-17T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Bibliothèque nationale de France - Site de l'Arsenal

Located in the Bastille district, the Arsenal Library is the former residence of the great masters of artillery. From 1756, the Marquis de Paulmy built a vast collection there.

Sunday 17 September 2023, 10:00Passed

Conditions

Free entry within the limits of available places - Last entry 17h

Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal - 2012 © Béatrice Lucchese / BnF

Located in the Bastille district, the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal is the former residence of the great masters of artillery. From 1756, the Marquis de Paulmy built a vast encyclopedic collection, which was transformed into a public library in 1797. In 2012, she received the label Maison des illustres.
The library offers more than one million documents for consultation: books, journals, manuscripts, prints, maps and plans, music… Its reading rooms form part of the BnF Research Library. Usually accessible only on proof of research, the library exceptionally opens its doors to the public for a visit to its reading rooms and lounges as well as a demonstration of the restoration workshops.

About the location

Bibliothèque nationale de France - Site de l'Arsenal

1 rue Sully 75004 Paris

Paris
Île-de-France

Arsenal founded in the sixteenth century by Louis XII. In 1599, Sully was named Grand Master and had the work of enlargement carried out. His successor had the painter Quillerier, a pupil of Vouet, decorate the apartments. At the end of the 17th century, the Arsenal became a residence for artists and scholars, housed by the king. In the 18th century, the Duke of Maine had the Arsenal enlarged and embellished by the architect Germain Boffrand. In 1757, the Arsenal was entrusted to René d'Argenson, Marquis de Paulmy, who constituted a library open to the public from 1797\. Between 1856 and 1870, Théodore Labrouste restructured the buildings, including the entrance pavilion and the facades on Rue de Sully. Partial destruction in 1871 following a fire. The library of the Arsenal was attached to the National Library (BnF) in 1934.