I'm going to France at the end of April for three weeks, and one of the best parts of planning has been plotting out all of the book-ish places I'm going to visit. So here are the places that are currently on my list to visit while I'm there.
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| By Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY - Pantheon, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41266234 |
Shakespeare and Company
Shakespeare and Company is probably one of the most well-known bookstores in France. The original was opened in 1919, and was closed during the German occupation of France in World War II. The revival version was opened in the early 1950s, and has been visited by some of the brightest literary minds, including folks like Allen Ginsburg, Anaïs Nin and James Baldwin. Not only does the bookstore have new and secondhand books, it also is an antique bookseller, a free reading library, and houses aspiring writers and authors in exchange for them helping out around the bookstore.
Bibliothèque Nationale de France
The Bibliotheque Nationale de France is kind of like their Library of Congress. It contains a copy of everything published in France, and also extensive historical documentation. It was established in 1461, so it's kind of a big deal. Plus, obviously it's freaking gorgeous. Just look at those cathedral ceilings.
Bibliothèque Méjanes
Located in Aix-en-Provence, the Bibliothèque Méjanes was founded in the mid-1700s. It's entrance has large representations of three well-known French pieces of literature: Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; Le Malade Imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) by Molière; and L'Étranger by Albert Camus. The collection includes medieval works going back to the 12th century, archives of two local newspapers, and posters going back as far as the 17th century.
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| By Marie-Lan Nguyen - Own work, CC BY 2.0 fr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14962047 |
Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève
The Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève was built in the mid-1800s, but the collection existed long before that, and reached its peak in the 13th century when an inventory shows that 226 religious texts. Many of the original texts were sold off during an economic downturn for the Abbey in the 17th century, and were later attempted to be returned. And look at that gorgeous reading room.
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| By Remi Mathis & Marie-Lan Nguyen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10317182 |
Bibliothèque Mazarine
The Bibliotheque Mazarine is the oldest public library in France. It was initially created by Cardinal Mazarin in the 17th century as his personal collection, and today has one of the richest collections of rare books and manuscripts in France, including a Gutenberg Bible known as the Bible Mazarine. (Though the original is kept in a vault, a facsimile copy is available for public viewing.)
Are there any must-visits that aren't on my list yet? Let me know so I don't miss them!
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