Imprimerie Royale
From Bodhicitta
Imprimerie Royale
The Imprimerie Royale (Royal Printing House) was the official state printing house of France, founded by François I in 1531, though it was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1640 when Cardinal Richelieu established it in its most prominent form at the Louvre with the aim of producing publications to the glory of the king. The institution changed its name according to the political regime of the day, operating as the Imprimerie Royale under the monarchy, the Imprimerie de la République during the Revolution, the Imprimerie Impériale under Napoleon, and the Imprimerie Nationale under the Republic, under which name it continues to operate today as IN Groupe, specializing in the production of secure documents such as identity cards and passports. During the nineteenth century the Imprimerie Royale published major works of Oriental scholarship.
