The historical library of Paris

History, bases of our values

Dear Readers,

History has always been a passion for me. To learn our past, to know our roots, bases of our values and ideas. We learn from history, we inspire ourselves from this one, let it be ours, the one of a country, or a city. This is the witness of the past which relate us the facts with our today’s view.

Always looking for the origins of what interests me, I went, yesterday, to the historical library of Paris, situated in the 4th district of the capital. Former mansion hotel of Angoulême, this is henceforth, books which are there. I came into the building, a place where 2 millions of documents are conserved. Arrived in the hall, I close my eyes and I breathe. I already smell this delicate fragrance, meaningful of ancient books. Here, books from the 15th century live together with the one of today. Books, newspapers, pictures, plans…

History of France

In this place, I impregnate myself from the history of France particularly Paris ‘one. I learn, I discover, I walk wherever my fancy takes me, in the different department of the library. I stop myself, and take a book randomly. Without any regards, I let my hand guides me. I take the book with me and I settle to discover the theme: the illuministic philosophy. Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Chodelors de Laclos and a lot of others explain me their intellectual current of their time. Then, I understand the origins of our intellectual legacy.

The same evening in the hotel Le Tourville, I rest myself. I think about this library, its books which bring us testimony from the humanity’s past. It is then Lacordaire which inspires me with his famous sentence “ History is the world’s memory ”.

See you soon!