The BnF's mission is to collect, catalogue, preserve, enrich and communicate the national documentary heritage in France.

Join us to restore, preserve and make available to all our universal heritage  
 
The Bibliothèque nationale de France  (BnF) is France's oldest cultural organization, originating in 1368 as the Royal Library of Charles V. It has grown over the ensuing 650 years into one of the world's largest, most prestigious, and most digitally accessible libraries.  The BnF is a leading custodian of a world heritage. Its encyclopedic collections are unique: all disciplines, whether intellectual, artistic or scientific, are represented in a comprehensive way. 

The BnF preserves over 44 million documents. In addition, the BnF's digital library, Gallica, provides free access to 10 million documents, for people from around the world to use for reading and learning. The BnF strives to provide educational, cultural and social enrichment to all.   

Projects to support 
There is a wide variety of projects to support at the BnF: digitization, acquisition, research activities, scholarships, etc. 
We selected 2 specific projects you may be interested to support:   

- The Breviary of Charles V acquisition 
- Emergency restoration - salle des Vélins 
   
Please, click on the dedicated tabs below to find more information about them. If you wish to find another project to support, feel free to contact us. 

Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Culture

Research

Education

Museums

Libraries

1048940678

Every.org is a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees they rely on the generosity of donors like you.

Choose a donation for Every.org

1258415673

1435915265

1737023302

We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.

2074652487

240751341

2516130445

2547000601

2624895975

2883383521

339774024

3605944885

3755280456

3794356679

3868271524

3884515653

410756082

496574456

579816602

761293274

772217036

2729980760

3440869557

671754822

1014384873

1112422858

153399038

2028390811

220342792

2266630408

2456389719

2519810400

2539558839

2826465835

2843798242

2898624300

2916352438

3259439560

3583328878

3642494300

3902459442

4054861980

4136002033

4177183036

4250940449

585491400

641510716

91682487

The BnF is actively soliciting patrons and major donors for an equally exceptional acquisition: the 77 original plates of the comic *La Bête est morte! La guerre mondiale chez les animaux* by cartoonist Calvo.

*La Bête est morte!* is a historical story written and published clandestinely during the Occupation, recounting the tragic events of the Second World War in the form of an animal fable. Military operations and political events are described in detail, as well as the Resistance inside and out, the daily lives of civilians and prison camps. In particular, *La Bête est morte!* is the first comic strip to evoke the fate of the Jews during the Second World War through the concentration and extermination camps.

Exceptional for its historical dimension, *La Bête est morte!* is also remarkable for its graphic qualities. This masterpiece of the comic occupies an eminent place in the French history of the ninth art. Calvo's original plates are naturally destined to be preserved in the BnF's Rare Book Reserve, a department that has received two major donations of comics: from Albert Uderzo and his wife, and from François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters.

The importance of these historic illustrations joining the public collections is beyond doubt. The purchase price has been set at €875,000. Our aim is to raise this sum through the mobilisation of companies, foundations, the general public and major donors.

77 original plates from a historical comic book about WWII

- ***Salle des Vélins - Richelieu***

The **salle des Vélins**, belonging to the Department of Maps and Plans of the National Library of France, kept the leather portfolios of the Anville fund and the most precious portulans of the department, houses a painted ceiling from the painted decorations of the former Hôtel Mazarin, reassembled by Roux -Spitz almost in the same place following a process identical to that adopted for Mazarin's bedroom.

The Vélins ceiling is one of the **works classified as historical monuments**, and has not been restored as part of the recent restructuring operation. It was protected during the works by a plastic film.

- **Painting by Simon Vouet** 

The decoration of the ceiling is an integral part of the decorative program established by **Mazarin** for his palace between 1640 and 1650 in parallel with the realization of the Mazarin gallery.

The central painting from 1646-1648 is attributed to the school of **Simon Vouet**. But the stylistic characteristics and the pictorial finesse of the **central composition strongly suggest that it is by the master's own hand.**

Simon Vouet is one of the **most important French painters of the 17th century**. Painter to King Louis XIII, he helped make Paris one of the artistic capitals of Europe. 

Thanks to this restoration, we will be able to know if the painting is by the artist Simon Vouet.

- **Decorative program**

The eight small format compositions (representing cherubs holding the cardinal's attributes and four allegorical figures) frame the three main compositions:

In the center, *Peace* (cf. the olive branch that the female figure holds in her hand) is being crowned by Victory. *Peace* touches a Roman fasces (one of Mazarin's attributes) with his foot, while two cherubs ward off the harpies. This set symbolizes the **victory of France (and therefore of the cardinal) over its enemies.**
On either side, two other compositions representing one *Abundance* (on the left), the other *Public Felicity* (on the right) further underline the good government of Cardinal Mazarin.

- **Why now?**

After the completion of the work in the Hotel Tubeuf, in September 2022, **damage** was observed on this ceiling: loss of substance, cracks, opacifying alteration of the varnish evoking a degradation of the type chanci.
A diagnosis was requested from the Mariotti workshop for the decorations and from Alix Laveau, restorer at the Mazarin gallery and the chief architect of historical monuments, Michel Trubert.

Help us save this historical treasure by supporting this emergency restoration.

**For more information, contact Kara Lennon Casanova, head of development**: kara.lennon-casanova@bnf.fr

Emergency restoration - salle des Vélins at Richelieu

Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Fundraisers

Donors

.css-1d3w5wq{width:100%;}.css-yi15dt{display:inline-block;--textSize:2rem;--lineHeight:2.4rem;line-height:var(--lineHeight);font-size:var(--textSize);width:100%;}Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Fundraisers

Donors

Bibliothèque Nationale de France