Sainte-Geneviève Library
library in Paris, France
Sainte-Geneviève Library (French: Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, pronounced [biblijɔtɛk sɛ̃t ʒənvjɛv]) is a university library of the universities of Paris, administered by the Sorbonne-Nouvelle University (a public liberal arts and humanities university) located at 10, place du Panthéon, across the square from the Panthéon, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.
It is based on the collection of the Abbey of Saint Genevieve, which was founded in the 6th century by Clovis I, the King of the Franks. The collection of the library was saved from destruction during the French Revolution. A new reading room for the library, with an innovative iron frame supporting the roof, was built between 1838 and 1851 by architect Henri Labrouste. The library contains around 2 million documents, and currently is the principal inter-university library for the different universities of Paris, and is also open to the public. It is administratively affiliated with Sorbonne Nouvelle University.
History
The Monastic library
The Abbey of Saint Genevieve is said to have been founded by King Clovis I and his queen, Clotilde. It was located near the present church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont and the present Panthéon, which was built atop the original abbey church. The abbey was said to have been founded at the beginning of the 6th century at the suggestion of Saint Genevieve, who selected the site, across from the original Roman forum. She died in 502 and Clovis died in 511, and the basilica was completed in 520.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Sainte-Geneviève Library” as library in Paris, France. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as library in Paris, France. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q517249. VIAF identifies the subject as 172322457. Authority coordinates are 48.847, 2.346. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1838 and 1851.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sainte-Geneviève Library”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sainte-Geneviève Library primary sources, Sainte-Geneviève Library archive and Sainte-Geneviève research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sainte-Geneviève Library”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sainte-Geneviève Library” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.