The permanent tour

The Cité's permanent tour is a fun and interactive way to immerse yourself in the heart of the French language.

Permanent visit tour by Didier PlowyCité internationale de la langue française - Château de Villers-Cotterêts

An unprecedented French adventure

The first permanent exhibition entirely dedicated to the French language, the permanent tour has been designed under the scientific direction of Xavier North, Barbara Cassin, Zeev Gourarier and Hassane Kassi Kouyaté.

"Games room" in the permanent visit tour by Didier PlowyCité internationale de la langue française - Château de Villers-Cotterêts

A tour of fun innovations spread over 1,200 m²

It consists of fifteen rooms divided into three sections: "A world language"; "An ongoing invention"; "A matter of state". It is supported by sixty innovative mediation devices and works on loan from partner institutions.

Permanent visit tour by Didier PlowyCité internationale de la langue française - Château de Villers-Cotterêts

French, a world language

As if in an airport concourse, a large departure board invites visitors to embark on a journey into the "world language" that is French. Discover its relationship to the world, with its spread across different continents and its relations with other languages.

"Games room" in the permanent visit tour by Didier PlowyCité internationale de la langue française - Château de Villers-Cotterêts

French, an ongoing invention

Thanks to the many devices on display, visitors can explore the way the language works, from the constitution of its vocabulary to the evolution of its pronunciation, via its standardization, but also in the variety of its uses and its capacity to constantly reinvent itself.

Permanent visit tour by Benjamin GavaudoCité internationale de la langue française - Château de Villers-Cotterêts

French, a matter of state

The status of a language always has a political dimension. In France the State has placed the French language at the heart of the political construction of the nation. The tour ends in the room presenting the Ordinance signed by François I in 1539 at Villers-Cotterêts, which granted official status to the French language.

Deconsecrated chapel by Benjamin GavaudoCité internationale de la langue française - Château de Villers-Cotterêts

Jewels of the Renaissance

End your visit in the Royal Chapel and contemplate its sumptuous, Italian-influenced sculptural decor before heading up the Queen's Staircase to the Cité library.

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