As part of the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the National Library of France is honoring Cyprus in collaboration with the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation.
Cyprus, one of the oldest centers of the Greek world, is located at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and the Near East and has been a meeting place of civilizations throughout history.
Through antiquities, manuscripts, engravings, drawings, and archival material, the exhibition highlights the French perception of Cyprus since the 17th century.
Very important are the works of Louis François Cassas, as well as the post-Byzantine icons of the 17th–18th centuries, on loan from the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and the Church of Panagia Faneromeni in Nicosia, which highlight the importance of the Orthodox Byzantine tradition on the island.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on February 10 by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Christodoulides.
Curators: Mr. Christian Forstel and Maximilien Girard, National Library of France
Dr. Yiannis Toumazis and Dr. Christodoulos Hatzichristodoulou, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation