Archives Nationales 

The National Archives of France are the memory of the nation. In the heart of Paris, as well as Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, millions of documents spanning more than a thousand years are kept, from medieval papyrus to digital files. At the historic Marais site, you’ll find records from before the French Revolution and notarial deeds from the fifteenth to the early twentieth century.

Since 2013, the largest archive building is in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, with storage for 380 kilometers of files—rows and rows of shelves that seem endless! Here are all the papers of the French state since 1790 and precious private archives. Modern records were once stored at Fontainebleau, but that building closed in 2016.

The National Archives also run agencies in Aix-en-Provence (overseas) and Roubaix (labor history). From ancient parchment and papyrus to videos and digital files, the collection is astonishingly broad. For researchers, historians, and curious visitors, the archives are an indispensable source for French history, culture, and society.