Around 1870, France became fascinated with the history of Byzantium, and this interest spread among historians—who were few in number as well as writers, painters, and architects. In a documentary aired on France on 10, 2026, and available online, Olivier Delouis, director of the Center for Byzantine History and Civilization at the Institute of Civilizations (UMR 8167 Orient et Méditerranée, Monde byzantin), explores the origins and forms of this forgotten craze, with contributions from Adrien Palladino (Louvre Museum) and Bastien Salva (Galeries Lafayette). Filmed largely in the Byzantine Library of the Collège de France, which houses nearly fifty —making it the world’s second-largest on Byzantine civilization—the film also features several excursions to Neo-Byzantine buildings in Paris.
A France Télévisions production, 2026.
Artistic Producer and Journalist Jivko Panev
Director Alexey Vozniuk
