From the Pont Neuf

Our outing today was to the to the Bibliotheque Mazarine on the left bank of the Seine (at the Pont des Arts). This view is from the Pont Neuf (the oldest bridge on the Seine, despite its name); and the dome on the left is that of the Institut de France, the large building which houses the Mazarine; the sculpture is at the base of one of the lamps on the bridge. (Fun to view large; I almost never do B&W, but here it's much better than color.)

The Mazarine was originally the private library of Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661), and was opened in 1643 as the first public library in France. We saw a fascinating exhibition on the development of French handwriting and printing styles from the 16th to the 18th centuries ("La lettre de civilité"), displayed at one end of the large and magnificent reading room--in itself a great treat to visit.

The Institut de France is the most important French intellectual and cultural institution outside the government, established in 1795 to bring together the five intellectual academies.

Last but not least, an acknowledgment: It was Lorena_S who inspired the composition of this blip, with a sculpture conspicuously in the foreground (I recently discovered her journal).