Discover the project for the Maison de l’histoire de France

France has a history that stretches back thousands of years and has moulded its landscapes and its buildings. It possesses universities and research institutes, archives and libraries, archaeological and historical sites, museums, monuments and memorials. And soon it will have a great cultural institution devoted to the country’s rich history: the Maison de l’histoire de France.

The Maison de l’histoire de France aims to highlight the importance of history to today’s society, by exploring all its facets, encouraging discussion and debate on key chapters in French history, and widening its scope to European and international contexts.

Drawing on all spheres of historical research, the Maison de l’histoire de France will be a dynamic centre for exhibitions, information and discussion about France’s past. It will open channels between historians, researchers and the public, who show an unflagging enthusiasm for history.

Located in the historic heart of Paris, in the Rohan-Soubise section of the Marais (beside the National Archives), the Maison de l’histoire de France is preparing to open exhibition rooms for 2016. A « Gallery of the Time » will embrace the entire history of France, from its earliest populations to today, in an original and informative way. In parallel, a wide-ranging cultural programme – featuring temporary exhibitions, conferences, discussions, seminars, films and concerts – will enable every type of audience to broaden and improve their knowledge.

Thanks to an ambitious digitization strategy, visitors will have access to a huge quantity of resources on the history of France. They will be able to discover a network of « history sites » – museums, archives, libraries, monuments, etc. – for which the Maison de l’histoire de France intends to play a coordinating role and promote initiatives contributing to the dissemination of historical knowledge.

 

> Upload the project for the Maison de l’histoire de France (.pdf)

Key dates

January 2009 : French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets leading figures in the cultural sphere and announces the creation of a « Maison de l’histoire de France ».

September 2010 : President Sarkozy announces that the Maison de l’histoire de France will be housed in the Rohan-Soubise section of the Marais, beside the National Archives.

September 2011 : The visual identity of the Maison de l’histoire de France is presented and a pre-launch communication website (www.maison-histoire.fr) goes live.

1st January 2012 : The Maison de l’histoire de France will be set up as a Public Institution (« Établissement Public »).

18 January to 17 February 2012 : The Grand Palais will host « La France en relief », an exhibition of scale models of fortified towns. It will be curated by Eric Deroo, film-maker and historian, and Max Polonovski, director of the Musée des Plans-Reliefs.

2016 : The Maison de l’histoire de France will open to the public in the Rohan-Soubise section of the Marais district.

Major events scheduled

Well before it opens to the public in 2016, the Maison de l’histoire de France will launch a wide-ranging cultural programme. To achieve this it has formed partnerships with several prominent bodies, including the National Audiovisual Institute (INA), the National Geographic Institute (IGN), France Télévisions, the Defence Communication and Audiovisual Production Agency (ECPAD) and the National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS). Other long-term partnerships will be formed in the future.

Flagship exhibition: La France en relief (1668–1873)

Paris, Grand Palais, 18 January to 17 February 2012

This exhibition will be a unique opportunity for the public to discover spectacular, little-known pieces from the prestigious collection of the Musée des Plans-reliefs. Its scale models of fortified towns (plans-reliefs) are part of a collection begun under Louis XIV and regularly expanded until 1873. Initially created for purely military purposes, they were also used for reasons of prestige.

Sixteen exceptionally fine models, all built to 1/600th scale, will be exhibited in the great hall of the Grand Palais. They are remarkable both for their extraordinary detail and for their sheer size: the scale model of Cherbourg covers some 160 square metres.

These models reveal the history of the towns, but also the history of France. They show us how landscapes have evolved, how man has shaped them, and how our concept of the frontier has changed.

The exhibition will be designed so that visitors can examine the scale models very closely. Each model will be presented along with audiovisual documents and an interactive terminal, enabling viewers to compare the town represented in miniature with its subsequent development.

Exhibition produced for the Ministry of Culture and Communication, and organized by the Association de préfiguration de la Maison de l’histoire de France, with the support of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux-Grand Palais and the scientific partnership of the Musée des Plans-reliefs.

ECPAD, IGN, Google and Saint-Gobain are partners for this exhibition.

 

 

Photo credits : Manuscript B, L. da Vinci, 15th century, drawing (pencil, ink), Paris, bibliothèque de l’Institut © RMN (Institut de France) / René-Gabriel Ojéda (top image)