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France & Belgium
This page focuses on the French language, and covers some major collections in France and the French-speaking region of Belgium. The Library of Geneva is included here, but please see the Germany, Austria & Switzerland page for other libraries in Switzerland.
Searching for Texts
The Bibliothèque de France has been working with other libraries to create a unified searchable catalog of French libraries, but the rare books collections may not always be integrated into collective catalogs like these. Similarly, WorldCat may or may not list all of the older materials held in various libraries, but it may provide a helpful first indication of where your materials can be found. Individual libraries usually still maintain their own catalogs, which are the most reliable source of information about their holdings. Even then, old and rare books may not be cataloged online.
If you're not sure what you're looking for, perusing printed bibliographies is a good place to start. More information on searching for texts can be found on the home page of this guide.
- Catalogue for the Bibliotheque Nationale de France This link opens in a new windowThe National Library of France's catalog.
- Catalogue Collectif de FranceThe union catalog of French libraries. All rare book collections may not be integrated, so it is a good idea to check paper catalogs as well.
- BP16: Bibliographie des éditions parisiennes du 16e siècleA project to create an online catalog of all books printed in Paris in the sixteenth century. So far it only goes up to 1540, but it is being expanded.
Bibliographies
Searching online catalogs is the fastest way to find what you're looking for if you already know what it is. If you want to explore, browsing bibliographies may be the way to go. Many paper bibliographies are available under Z call numbers, and in facsimile editions via Google Books and HathiTrust. More information on bibliographies can be found on the home page of this guide.
Several catalogs of French printed books divided by century are available. Below you will find two catalogs of books printed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as well as some more specific catalogs by genre, and some early bibliographies.
- Bibliographie de la littérature française du seizième siècleThe thematic bibliographies at the front may prove to be useful. The index also contains "a certain number" of thematic entries such as Turks, Huguenots and the Reformation.
- Bibliographie de la littérature française du dix-septième siècleThe third volume contains a thematic index that may be very useful: you can look up cour, mysticisme, or Rouen and find a list of books relating to that topic.
- Bibliotheqve des avthevrs qui ont escrit l'histoire et topographie de la France, divisee en deux parties, selon l'ordre des temps, & des matieresPrinted in 1627, this early bibliography can help you discover primary sources that had been printed by that time. Available in Special Collections or via Google Books.
- La bibliotheqve françoise, de M. C. Sorel premier historiographe de FranceAnother early bibliography, from 1667, "ov se trovve l'examen & le choix des meilleurs & des principaux liures françois." Available in Special Collections or via Google Books.
- Bibliographie des recueils collectifs de poésies du XVIe siècleA bibliography of poetry collections printed between 1502 and 1608. Available in the Regenstein third-floor reference collection.
- Bibliographie des recueils collectifs de poésies publiés de 1597 à 1700Available in the Regenstein third-floor reference collection.
- Répertoire des programmes des pièces de théâtre jouées dans les collèges en France (1601-1700)One of many volumes of the Histoire et civilisation du livre series, each providing a bibliography of a specific theme.
- Les sources de l'histoire de France: Notices bibliographiques et analytiques des inventaires et des recueils de documents relatifs à l'histoire de FranceA guide to historical primary sources available in various archives and libraries in France. Available in the Regenstein third-floor reference collection.
- L'ère baroque en France: répertoire chronologique des éditions de textes littérairesA chronological list of literary works printed in France in the seventeenth century.
- Belgica typographica 1541-1600: catalogus librorum impressorum ab anno MDXLI ad annum MDC in regionibus quae nunc Regni Belgarum partes suntA catalog of books printed in Belgium between 1541 and 1600.
- Early printed books--France--16th century--BibliographyYou can browse the subject headings to find region-specific bibliographies of books printed in Paris, Tours, and so on.
National Libraries
The National Library of France began as the royal library, with its origins in the fifteenth century. The Royal Library of Belgium began during the same century. As a result, both national depositories hold enormous collections of early printed books.
When requesting access to old and rare materials, most institutions will require that you apply for some sort of researcher's card and may require to see some evidence of why you need to use the materials. It is a good idea to anticipate this, and familiarize yourself with the requirements at the libraries you intend to visit before you travel. It is also advisable to bring an original letter from your department chair or dissertation advisor attesting to your research needs.
More information on visiting libraries and archives can be found on the home page of this guide.
- Bibliothèque national de FranceThe National Library houses vast collections, including 12,000 incunabula. The modern François-Mitterand Library, on the banks of the Seine, is home to the rare book reserves.
- Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire (Strasbourg)The National and University Library of Strasbourg holds nearly 2,100 incunabula and a collection that strives to include every book printed in Alsace during the sixteenth century.
- Royal Library of Belgium (Brussels)The Royal Library of Belgium holds more than 3,000 incunabula and more than 54,000 books printed between 1500 and 1700.
Other Collections
In addition to the national libraries, many regional public libraries, university libraries, and private libraries in France, Belgium and Switzerland hold important collections of early printed books. These are just a few of the major collections.
For libraries in North America with collections of early printed books from Western Europe, please see the Collections in North America page of this guide.
- Bibliothèque Mazarine (Paris)Founded in 1643, the Mazarine holds important collections of incunabula (the second-largest collection in France), early printed books, and manuscripts. The catalogs of early printed books are still being computerized, so be sure to search a paper catalog.
- Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève (Paris)Housed in an elegant ninteenth-century building, the Sainte-Geneviève Library holds 1,450 incunabula, more than 30,000 books printed between 1500 and 1700, and more than 6,300 manuscripts.
- Bibliothèque de ToulouseToulouse's public library system holds a large collections of illustrated Molière works from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries, and collections or early printed books on science, medicine, and flora and fauna.
- Bibliothèque Municipal de LyonThe Public Library of Lyon holds 1,300 incunabula, 20,000 books from the sixteenth century, and 65,000 from the seventeenth.
- Bibliothèque de Genève [Geneva, Switzerland]Extensive collections of early printed books, almost all in French or Latin. Beautiful website with lots of helpful information in both French and English.
Early Modern French Orthography
As Susan Baddeley writes in Orthographies of Modern Europe, in the sixteenth century "the French language had an extremely rich phonological system, and only the 23 letters of the traditional Roman alphabet to write it with. This led, inevitably, to a large number of ad hoc adaptations, consisting mainly of added letters (diagraphs, mute letters), with all the ambiguity and sometimes obscurity that resulted." This spelling instability makes reading early modern French books an exciting, but sometimes frustrating, adventure.
Learn more about French orthography
- Orthographies in Early Modern EuropeSusan Baddeley's chapter on French, cited above, contains an extremely helpful overview of sixteenth-century French spelling.
- Dictionnaire historique de l'orthographe françaiseA wonderful reference for understanding spelling variations throughout history, compiled by the language historian Nina Catach.
- L’orthographe française à l’époque de la Renaissance. Auteurs, imprimeurs, ateliers d’imprimerieAnother invaluable resource from Nina Catach. A detailed look at orthography in the early modern period, and how it was influenced by writers and printers.
- Histoire de l'orthographe françaiseNina Catach's history of French spelling conventions from the Middle Ages through the twentieth century. A detailed table of contents will guide you to what you need.
- L'orthographe et la prononciation française: dialogueJacques Peletier du Mans's 1550 treatise on pronunciation and spelling, in dialog form. In a modern edition with updated orthography.
- Les grands courants orthographiques au XVIIe siècle et la formation de l'orthographe moderne: impacts matériels, interférences phoniques, théories et pratiques (1606-1736)A detailed history of the orthographical developments of the seventeenth century.
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