From the vases of antiquity to contemporary photography:
a new museum dedicated to the treasures of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Bnf) opens in Paris on the occasion of the European Heritage Days this weekend, located in the historic quadrilateral of the library on rue Richelieu,
in the heart of the capital, halfway between the Louvre and the Grands Boulevards.
Presenting this new construction, the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, paid tribute to an "architecture guided by modernity, openness, transparency and fluidity".
The Oval Room
The renewal of the spaces of the historic Bnf did not happen without controversy.
The dismantling of a monumental staircase, considered too massive for the passage of visitors, has created disagreements and controversies and now we expect to know what its future destination will be.
The renovation of the BnF, including the museum, took 12 years of work and cost the State 261 million euros.
"Here you can see the history of the world: we have collections ranging from Antiquity to the present day and which trace this history, in particular, the relations between France and the world", explains the scientific advisor of the museum, the Italian Gennaro Toscano.
Launched in 2010, in that ancient quadrilateral where the spirit of Molière still lingers - between the gardens of the Palais Royal, the Come 'die Francaise, the Basilica Notre-Dame des Victoires and the Galerie Vivienne - the immense construction site has come to completion during the summer.
"The Richelieu Library was paying for an austere image, of a library rat hole, that, for example, of Gustave Flaubert, who spent whole days in the Cabinet of Medals examining the ancient coins mentioned in his novel 'Salammbo' '', he explained the president of the BnF, Laurence Engel, adding that "in addition to an indispensable refurbishment of the plants, the new layout aims to break this image of a narrow place, making the spaces more open, functional and spacious".
And it is precisely the ancient reading room frequented by Flaubert that has been transformed into the new museum area inaugurated this weekend
.
Among the treasures on display,
the throne of King Dagobert
, in bronze, damaged by Napoleon and repaired as much as possible by his blacksmith.
But the great expectation also concerns the
Galerie Mazarin
- named after the famous cardinal of Abruzzo, Giulio Mazarin, principal ministers of Louis XIV and 'prince of collectors' - entirely renovated.
In the Gallery you will be able to admire pieces taken from different collections along a space of 46 meters with Baroque frescoes.
During these ten years of work, even the warehouses, not open to the public, have been emptied and completely renovated to make the library more modern, dynamic and functional.
The Mazzarino Gallery
With unique pieces, from Hokusai to Mozart, the BnF-Richelieu contains pearls of world cultural heritage, ranging from the 15 million photos of the Departement des Estampes et photographies to the splendid collection of geographical maps.
When Emmanuel Macron visited the site in September 2021, he called it the "epicenter of our history"
.
During the visit, the president admired, for example, a Roman silver plate from the first century or Mozart's manuscript of Don Giovanni.
In a poor neighborhood with green spaces, with the exception of the gardens of the Palais Royal, the BnF will also open a new public garden, in rue Vivienne.
In addition to the Salle Labrouste, one of the most secret and spectacular places in Paris that houses the National Institute of Art History (Inha), the immense library also reopens the Salle Ovale, a majestic reading room with 9,000 free access comics .
Admission to the museum costs 10 euros instead, 8 euros at a reduced rate.