Project Status: Ongoing

Gallica is the digital library of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and makes available nearly thousands of manuscripts, printed books, and images that may be searched or browsed online, some of which are available for download as .pdf or .jpg.

Gallica may be searched or browsed by author, title, subject, date, and many other fields, and also includes the contents of many municipal and departmental libraries and archives from across France, as well as some international libraries. Currently, the website is only available in French.


Gallica is the massive collection of online resources offered by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, including printed material and digitized manuscripts (some from old microfilms, others more recently photographed for digital viewing), and much more. The material is not restricted to resources relevant to the Middle Ages, but it is certainly a valuable resource for medievalists. Searching can be cumbersome, and it is often easiest to use the online manuscript catalogue to find links to reproductions found in Gallica. The digital reader is excellent, allowing viewers to either page through a book or manuscript, or to locate specific pages quite efficiently via thumbnails.

Resource details:

Resource Type: CatalogDownloadable dataImagesManuscripts/FacsimilesSearchable DatabaseText: Medieval

License: No Fee

Modern Language: French

Medieval content details:

Dates: 700 - 1500

Subject: ArtCarolingiansChivalryClassics, HumanismClergyConfession, PenanceCourtly LoveEducation, UniversitiesHistoryManuscript StudiesMaterial CultureMusicNobility, GentryPhilosophy, TheologyPietyRoyalty, MonarchsSaintsTheology

Type/Genre of Medieval Primary Source Material: ManuscriptsMaterial Evidence

Geopolitical Region: EuropeFranceGerman LandsItalyLow Countries

Original Language: FrenchGermanItalianLatin