National Museum of Natural History, France in the context of "French crown jewels"

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⭐ Core Definition: National Museum of Natural History, France

In France, the National Museum of Natural History (French: Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle [myzeɔm nɑsjɔnal distwaʁ natyʁɛl]; MNHN) is the national natural history museum of France and a grand établissement of higher education part of Sorbonne University. The main museum, with four galleries, is located in Paris, France, within the Jardin des Plantes on the left bank of the River Seine. It was formally founded in 1793, during the French Revolution, but was begun even earlier in 1635 as the royal garden of medicinal plants. The museum now has 14 sites throughout France.

Since the 2014 reform, it has been headed by a chairman, assisted by deputy managing directors. The Museum has a staff of approximately 2,350 members, including six hundred researchers. It is a member of the national network of naturalist collections (RECOLNAT).

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👉 National Museum of Natural History, France in the context of French crown jewels

The French Crown Jewels (French: Joyaux de la Couronne de France) and Regalia comprise the crowns, orb, sceptres, diadems and jewels that were symbols of Royal or Imperial power between 752 and 1870. These were worn by many Kings and Queens of France as well as Emperor Napoleon. The set was finally broken up, with most of it sold off in 1885 by the Third Republic. The surviving French Crown Jewels, principally a set of historic crowns, diadems and parures, are mainly on display in the Galerie d'Apollon of the Louvre, France's premier museum and former royal palace, together with the Regent Diamond, the Sancy Diamond and the 105-carat (21.0 g) Côte-de-Bretagne red spinel, carved into the form of a dragon. In addition, some gemstones and jewels (including the Emerald of Saint Louis, the Ruspoli sapphire and the diamond pins of Queen Marie Antoinette) are on display in the Treasury vault of the Mineralogy gallery in the National Museum of Natural History.

On 19 October 2025, eight of the jewels were stolen from the Galerie d'Apollon. The location of the stolen jewels is unknown; the Crown of Empress Eugénie was also initially stolen but was dropped during the thieves' escape and recovered in a damaged condition. The exact extent of the damage is still unknown, but was later revealed to be severe, with "delicate" repair needed for possible restoration.

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National Museum of Natural History, France in the context of 5th arrondissement of Paris

The 5th arrondissement of Paris (V arrondissement) is one of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as le cinquième.

The arrondissement, also known as Panthéon, is situated on the Rive Gauche of the River Seine. It is one of the capital's central arrondissements. The arrondissement is notable for being the location of the Latin Quarter, a district dominated by universities, colleges, and prestigious high schools since the 12th century when the University of Paris was created. It is also home to the National Museum of Natural History and Jardin des plantes in its eastern part.

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National Museum of Natural History, France in the context of Henry de Lumley

Henry de Lumley (born 14 August 1934 in Marseille, France) is a French archeologist, geologist and prehistorian. He is director of the Institute of Human Paleontology in Paris, and Professor Emeritus at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. He is also a corresponding member of the Academy of Humanities of the Institute of France and former director of the French National Museum of Natural History. He is best known for his work on archeological sites in France and Spain, notably Arago cave in Tautavel, Southern France, Terra Amata in Nice and Grotte du Lazaret near Nice, and Baume Bonne at Quinson, where some of the earliest evidence of man in Europe were found.

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National Museum of Natural History, France in the context of Jardin des plantes

The Jardin des Plantes (French pronunciation: [ʒaʁdɛ̃ de plɑ̃t] , lit.'Garden of the Plants'), also known as the Jardin des Plantes de Paris (French: [- paʁi]) when distinguished from other jardins des plantes in other cities, is the main botanical garden in France. Jardin des Plantes is the official name in the present day, but it is in fact an elliptical form of Jardin Royal des Plantes Médicinales ("Royal Garden of the Medicinal Plants"), which is related to the original purpose of the garden back in the 17th century.

Headquarters of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (National Museum of Natural History, part of Sorbonne University), the Jardin des Plantes is situated in the 5th arrondissement, Paris, on the left bank of the river Seine, and covers 28 hectares (280,000 m). Since 24 March 1993, the entire garden and its contained buildings, archives, libraries, greenhouses, ménagerie (a zoo), works of art, and specimens' collection are classified as a national historical landmark in France (labelled monument historique).

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