Archives nationales, National archives in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine and 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France.
The Archives nationales is an institution spanning two locations: a complex in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine and a site in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. The collections include government records, private papers, and materials covering multiple centuries of French history.
The institution was created in 1789 by the French Constituent Assembly and officially established in September 1790. A more recent expansion to Pierrefitte-sur-Seine enabled the facility to store significantly more materials and grow its holdings.
The name reflects France's commitment to preserving its past and making history accessible to everyone. You can see how both locations blend modern spaces with the role of guardians of collective memory.
Visitors can arrive on weekdays and weekends at different times, with hours varying between the two locations. It is worth checking the specific opening times and access requirements before visiting, as these details matter at public institutions.
The facility in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine includes a building with roughly 320 km of shelving space, making it one of Europe's largest archive storage facilities. This capacity reveals how seriously France takes preserving its documentary heritage.
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