Like most capital cities, Paris is a focal point throughout French history—it’s from Paris that the kings of old ruled, where a revolution sparked and caught fire, where an empire was born and later died, where a thousand other instances of history were set. And in a city that has no shortage of museums, it’s no surprise that more than a few of them are dedicated to the history of the city, of France, and of the French.
Musée de la Libération de Paris
Where World War II is concerned, Paris is known for two things: the collaborationist Vichy Régime, and the French Resistance movements that opposed them. Originally occupying an Atlantique roof slab above a Montparnasse train stations, the museum was moved in 2019 to the Ledoux pavilions on Place Denfert-Rochereau, where, 20 meters, or about 100 steps below the surface, lies a defence shelter where Resistance fighter Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, Head of the Île-de-France (Parisian region) French Forces of the Interior (FFI), set up his headquarters.
The more than 300 objects, original documents, photographs, archive videos and personal accounts detail important moments of the Liberation are focused on the lives of two key figures, Jean Moulin, a hero and martyr of the Resistance who successfully united the women and men who fought back against the Nazi Occupying forces, and General Leclerc de Hauteclocque, head of the 2nd Armoured Division, and who played a key role in liberating Paris.
Musée de L’Armée at Les Invalides
France, like most countries, has an extensive military history, and it’s all on display at the Musée de L’Armée at Les Invalides, or the Army Museum. The museum spans a main building and two churches, housing 500,000 objects amongst them, including weaponry, uniforms, paintings and more.
Their permanent collection runs in chronological order, beginning from the Middle Ages, and ending at World War Two, highlighting key points in French history, as well as in world history where France has played a key role. Aside from the traditional museum displays, the Army Museum is also the final resting place of Napoleon I, as well as other important figures in military history.
Musée Carnavalet
The Musée Carnavalet is housed in two neighbouring hôtel particulier, or mansions, and is dedicated to the history of Paris. The exhibits tell the story of how the small Roman village of Lutèce (Lutetia in Latin), inhabited by the Celtic Parisii tribes, grew in size, renown and importance to become the metropolitan hub it is today.
The museums collection of over 500,000 objects of art, furniture, personal effects and more are beautifully displayed to showcase key moments in Paris’ extensive history, from the Renaissance to the Age of Enlightenment, the French Revolution to Napoleon. In short, this museum will tell you everything you need to know about Paris through the centuries.
The National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is not only a museum dedicated to sharing scientific knowledge with the public, and preserving and building their collections, but is also an institution that seeks to increase their understanding of the world through high quality research.
Spread out across 14 buildings and establishments in France, the original building at the Jardin des Plantes remains the main museum, with permanent and seasonal collections, including collections on evolution, palaeontology and comparative anatomy, all meant not only to educate the public, but also to entertain them.
The Musée Cluny
The Musée Cluny, also known as the Musée National du Moyen Âge, or National Museum of the Middle Ages, is an exploration of France in the Middle Ages. The museum’s main collection is housed in the Hôtel de Cluny, a mansion that was partially built on the remains of the Thermes de Cluny, third century Gallo-Roman thermal baths.
The museums collections are one of the most complete medieval art collections in the world, and include the six tapestries of La Dame à la licorne, ‘The Lady with the Unicorn’, which are a series of wool and silk tapestries in the style of mille-fleurs, that depict a woman with a unicorn and a lion, and which are thought to collectively signify love or understanding.
Together, these museums will leave you with a deeper understanding of the city of Paris, and France as a whole.
