Based at the former palace of Cardinal Mazarin in Paris' 2nd arrondissement, the National Library of France - Richelieu Site, along with the François Mitterrand site on Quai François Mauriac in the 13th arrondissement, is one of the world's biggest libraries.
The former royal library, the Richelieu site hosts such prestigious collections as Music and Performing Arts, Western and Eastern Manuscripts, Maps and Plans, Prints and Photographs, as well as Coins, Medals and Antiques. The memorial site also regularly hosts temporary exhibitions at its Mansart and Mazarine Galleries, in sumptuous surroundings. Decorated in true Baroque style, the Mazarine Gallery, built from 1644 to 1646 by the architect François Mansart, is decorated with magnificent frescoes painted by the Italian artist Giovanni Francesco Romanelli.
