The Summit venues

On 4 and 5 October, the Francophonie Summit will occupy two iconic venues: the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française at the Villers-Cotterêts Château and the Grand Palais in Paris. 

The Cité Internationale de la Langue Française recently opened its doors at the fully refurbished Villers-Cotterêts Château in the Aisne Department. It is the very place where François I signed one of his most famous orders: the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, making French the official legal and administrative language, where Molière played his Tartuffe, which was censored in Paris, and where Alexandre Dumas lived. 

This cultural venue dedicated wholly to the French language and Francophone cultures aims to share and spark a love for French, a living language reinvented by all those who use it worldwide.  

The Grand Palais is a symbol of progress and innovation and was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris. After hosting great exhibitions and events for over a century, major works began in 2021 to restore its original splendour. In this setting, in the nave, transparency will be the watchword of the plenary session of the Heads of State and Government.  

This is the third time the Francophonie Summit, the most important forum of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, has been held in France.  

In 1986, France hosted the first Francophonie Summit at the Château de Versailles, attended by 41 foreign delegations. Discussions addressed the role of French in telecommunications networks, debt and energy cooperation.  

In 1991, the fourth Summit was held at the Palais de Chaillot. Some 47 delegations met in Paris to discuss democracy and cultural and technical cooperation.