Bibliothèque nationale de France

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Azar Samanov

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The National Library of France, one of the oldest in Europe, traces its history back to the royal library founded by Charles V the Wise in 1368. The collection received significant development under Francis I, who in 1537 issued a decree obliging publishers to transfer one copy of each printed book to the library. In different eras, the library was called royal, imperial, and finally, after the Great French Revolution, it was nationalized and became National. During the Great French Revolution, the library was nationalized and received its current name, and its funds grew enormously due to books from monasteries and libraries of aristocratic emigrants. Over time, the expanded collection required the expansion of the premises, and in 1868, a new building was built for the library by architect Henri Labrouste. Today, the most valuable parts of the collection, including the Cabinet of Medals and manuscripts, are stored in this historic building. After a 12-year restoration completed by 2025, the complex has reopened to the public, combining a museum, reading rooms, including the famous Oval Hall, and scientific centers. Admission to the hall is free for all visitors. Here you can work with your own materials or explore the collection of 20,000 books. There is also a Rose Bakery cafe, a bookstore and a magnificent garden where you can relax. I'll write about the dome separately. This structure became revolutionary for its time due to the innovative use of a metal frame, which allowed to create a huge open space without traditional supports, covered by a dome 18 meters high. Natural light penetrates abundantly through the dome and large window openings, creating a feeling of lightness and spaciousness. Labrust has carefully thought out the functionality of the hall: the reading areas are arranged in concentric circles. The dome of the Oval Hall is decorated with a monumental painting created by the artist Paul-Emile Millet. This painting is a symbolic map of the world, where medallions with the names of great cities and centers of knowledge that have contributed to the development of human thought and printing are located around the image of the celestial sphere with the signs of the zodiac. The idea of Labrust and Millet was to create an encyclopedic and universal image of the world, corresponding to the mission of the Library itself. Thus, the reader, looking up to the dome, finds himself under a symbolic sky that unites all the centers of world civilization, which turns the hall into a real temple of knowledge.

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Bibliothèque nationale de France

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