Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sainte-Geneviève Library (BSG) is an interuniversity and public library located at 10 Place du Panthéon in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. It occupies an innovative building designed by Henri Labrouste between 1843 and 1850, at the site of the former college of Montaigu. This place is the heir of the library of St. Geneviève Abbey, founded in the sixth century under Clovis, which was one of the most important in Europe. The current library, open to all majors or bachelors, retains approximately two million volumes divided into three funds: the Reserve (old holdings), the General Fund (works since 1811) and the Nordic Library (Finno-Scandinavian holdings).

The history of the library goes back to the Basilica dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul, built in the early sixth century by Clovis. Saint Geneviève, buried in the crypt in 502, gave his name to the abbey and its library, whose existence is attested to in the twelfth century. After centuries of development, notably marked by Suger's reform in the 12th century and major donations such as that of Cardinal de La Rochefoucauld in 1624, the library was nationalized in 1790. She survived with the intervention of her librarian, Alexandre-Guy Pingré, and enriched with revolutionary confiscations.

In the 19th century, in front of its small premises, the library was transferred to a new building designed by Henri Labrouste, inaugurated in 1851. This building, first in France specifically dedicated to a library, is distinguished by its rationalist architecture combining stone and cast iron. The reading room, illuminated by 41 windows, is organized in a vast basilical space with cast iron columns. The sober facade, decorated with the names of 810 scholars, reflects the encyclopedic spirit of the collections. Ranked a historic monument in 1992, the library remains an emblematic place in the Latin Quarter, frequented by figures such as Marcel Duchamp, Simone de Beauvoir or James Joyce.

The BSG collections cover all areas of knowledge, with remarkable heritage holdings: 6,300 manuscripts, 160,000 old prints, and 50,000 prints. The Reserve conserves rare works, while the Nordic Library, located 6 rue Valette, offers a unique fund in Scandinavian and Finno-Ugrian languages. Since 2009, the library has been actively involved in digitizing its collections, with more than 5,400 documents accessible online via its digital library, Genovefa.

The Sainte-Geneviève Library has also inspired many writers and filmmakers. From Balzac's works to Simone de Beauvoir and films like Hugo Cabret de Scorsese, she embodies a place of knowledge and creation. Today, it remains a public and interuniversity institution, open to a wide audience, while preserving its encyclopedic character and exceptional architectural heritage.

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