For the Journées du Patrimoine 2024, the beautiful site of the Archives nationales de Paris opens its doors to us in the heart of the Marais district. Join us on Saturday September 21 and Sunday September 22, 2024 in the 4th arrondissement of Paris to enjoy the permanent collections and exhibitions.
Created at the time of the French Revolution, the Archives nationales are responsible for collecting, preserving and promoting the central archives of the French State. Nearly 300 linear kilometers of archives, from the 7th century to the present day, are preserved here. Today, they are located at three sites: Fontainebleau, Paris and Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, the latter having been opened to the public in January 2013. The Pierrefitte-sur-Seine site, designed by architect Massimiliano Fuksas, is dedicated to post-French Revolution archives, and houses almost 180 linear kilometers of public and private archives accessible in the reading room.
And as for the event itself, this 41st edition of the Journées du Patrimoine is an opportunity to discover the history of many of France's museums, institutions and establishments.
Following an exceptional restoration campaign, four salons from the Hôtel de la Chancellerie d'Orléans, demolished in 1923, have been reassembled on the first floor of the Hôtel de Rohan. A guided tour reveals the extraordinary history of these settings. On the second floor, the famous Cabinet des Singes and Cabinet des Fables are also part of the tour.
Duration: 1 h 15. Groups of 20. Tours depart every hour. Last tour at 6 p.m.
Conceived as an ephemeral structure, the Eiffel Tower was built to be the highlight of the 1889 World's Fair, but its exceptional longevity can be traced back to the construction agreement signed in 1887 between engineer Gustave Eiffel and the public authorities who commissioned it. Kept in the Archives Nationales, the agreement was a great success with the public at this third event in the "Les Remarquables" cycle, and goes far beyond being an administrative act, becoming a quasi manifesto for the development of knowledge, technology and science. It is on display at the Hôtel de Soubise until January 6, 2025.
This guided tour for the visually impaired offers a sensory discovery of the National Archives' prestigious conservation galleries, as well as a tactile exploration of original documents. Duration: 1h30 - 6 visually impaired people and their companions.
In connection with the exhibition 1887: the Eiffel Tower construction contract
With calamus, pen and ink, the Archives nationales invite you to explore the art of calligrams, where words come to life in the form of the Eiffel Tower.
The National Archives seal workshop invites you to travel from port to port and seal your seaman's passport with a ship's seal. The workshop will introduce you to the seals of great maritime cities, and offer you the chance to make your own wax seals.
The opening of the National Archives' Conservation Department workshops will give visitors an insight into the challenges of conservation-restoration in an archival context. Examination of documents undergoing treatment will present the appropriate methods and techniques for eliminating the causes of alteration, remedying damage and effectively protecting documents in order to guarantee their preservation and authorize consultation, exhibition and/or digitization.
Groups of 10 people Saturday 21 and Sunday 22, duration 1 hour, departures at 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm.
As part of the " Les remarquables"series, Myriam Larnaudie-Eiffel gives a talk in connection with the 1887 Eiffel Tower construction contract exhibition.
The museography workshop mounts and frames documents presented in exhibitions organized by the National Archives. The art technicians offer you the chance to frame the illumination created in the Eiffel Tower workshop.
Prestigious buildings housing medieval and Ancien Régime archives, the Louis Philippe and Napoléon III repositories are only open on rare occasions. This is an opportunity to discover the iron cabinet and some of the founding documents: Merovingian and Carolingian charters, the standard meter, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, etc.
Duration 45 mins. Groups of 25. Departures every half-hour. Last departure at 6.30pm.
Housed in the Hôtel de Breteuil, the library of the French National Archives holds a rich collection of 150,000 volumes and several hundred periodical titles. While its works are accessible to all in the Caran reading room, its premises are only occasionally open to visitors. A beautiful 18th-century salon, the work of Gilles Marie Oppenord, is waiting to be discovered. Short lectures will present documents relating to maritime heritage (history of navigation and shipbuilding). The vice-presidents of the Société française d'histoire maritime will be our contacts for these lectures.
Duration: 1 h. Groups of 15. Departures every hour. Last departure at 5 p.m.
Strolling wind instrument concerts by the Jeunes talents association, focusing on the Gustave Eiffel era, from 3pm to 5pm in the main courtyard. These concerts are linked to the exhibition 1887: the Eiffel Tower construction contract.
Discover the prestigious galleries of the Grands Dépôts of the French National Archives, suitable for younger visitors accompanied by their parents.
1 visit Sunday September 22, 10:30 am. Duration: 45 min. Groups of 25 (children and adults)
Don't hesitate: come and discover this emblematic Parisian landmark.
Location
Archives Nationales - Paris site
60 Rue des Francs Bourgeois
75003 Paris 3
Prices
Free
Official website
www.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr
More information
Open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
