Hidden French treasures revealed as the library of libraries reopens
“Vive la Bibliothèque Nationale de France!” proclaimed the nation’s prime minister as she inaugurated the renovated Richelieu library and its extraordinary contents.
The globe with the very first mention of the word ‘America’ on it is on display in the Mazarin Gallery. Alamy
King Dagobert’s bronze throne. Charlemagne’s ivory chess pieces. Mozart’s handwritten score of Don Giovanni. A 16th-century globe – the first to use the word “America”.
In a library? Yes, but not just any library. These works belong to the National Library of France. After 12 years and €261 million (around $410 million) of renovations, the country’s national library in the heart of Paris has reopened and is showing off more than 900 of its treasures.
