The oldest public library in France .. Mazarin cultural radiation has been going on for 4 centuries

Hafsat Alami - Paris

The Mazarin Library took care of rare books and manuscripts that have been carefully preserved for centuries on old shelves and cupboards, to allow everyone who visits them the opportunity to dive into history and enjoy the scent of rare and ancient books burdened with an invaluable literary and cultural heritage.

"Mazarin" is the first public library in France, located in the heart of the capital Paris near the Arts Bridge where the Louvre Museum is on the opposite bank, and its history dates back to the 17th century by the Cardinal and French diplomat Jules Mazarin (1602-1661).

In addition to its cultural and historical value, this library is famous for the story of its secret lover, former French President Francois Mitterrand and his beloved Ann Bingo, who gave birth to a daughter named after the library where they met for the first time, and today is the French writer Mazarin Bingo, who was hidden from the press for many years, until the magazine was published "Barry Match" pictures of President Mitterrand with her in November 1994.

A book lover's story
The special collections of Cardinal Mazarin, who are still in the library, tell the story of his love for books and his many attempts to preserve and restore them despite all the difficult circumstances that characterized that period.

Jules Mazarin, who was an adviser to King Louis XIV and the Prime Minister of France from 1642 until his death in 1661, lost a lot of his properties and properties in order not to give up this library, and summed it up in his will that he wrote three days before his death, stressing the necessity of keeping his library open to all And attached to the School of the Four Nations.

Library architecture
Mazarin's passion for books began in France since 1643, and he wanted to equip a library in Paris that would mimic the libraries he owned in Rome, where he had lived for many years, and the famous French librarian, Gabriel Node, the owner of the first thesis on modern libraries, helped him achieve this dream.

Mazarin relied on itinerant book sellers, and he used his political power with diplomats and military to obtain the rarest and oldest books and the most important literary and cultural references, so that he could collect about 50,000 books and volumes in the mid-seventeenth century.

French twists
For four centuries the library was able to keep its old books and manuscripts, and it escaped wars sometimes and from burning or confiscation at other times.

France witnessed political and social upheavals during the French Revolution between 1789 and 1799, the most important of which was the collapse of the monarchy, but the library was not greatly affected by this war, and its doors remained open to receive those wishing to learn because of its educational nature.

The library continued to grow during the 18th century, and the French Revolution greatly increased its size, as librarian Gaspard Michel bought books that were confiscated from monasteries and from the nobles who fled into exile, and also collected artistic works, bronze and gilded chandeliers, and other art pieces that decorate the reading room in The library today.

Today, the library contains one of the richest collections of rare books and manuscripts in France, and it currently has approximately 600,000 books.