Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal

The Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal is a national library housed in a former military building in the 4th arrondissement of Paris and contains over one million books and thousands of manuscripts. The building features rooms designed for research and study, with collections spanning from the 16th century onward.

The library was founded in 1757 from the private collection of Marc-René d'Argenson and became a public institution during the French Revolution in 1797. This transformation opened the scholarly collections to a wider audience.

The reading rooms display French literary collections spanning several centuries, including documents from the Bastille and personal papers of notable writers. Visitors can see how these works reflect the intellectual life of France.

Your visit is best planned with plenty of time, as there is much to explore and some rooms are only accessible under certain conditions. It helps to check beforehand which collections are currently open to visitors.

The restored Music Room displays manuscripts and printed music scores largely from the 18th century. The space also holds rare historical texts on occult topics that often surprise collectors and researchers.