mazarine

Mazarine is a term that appears in several distinct contexts, including color terminology, a historic institution, and as a personal name. It derives from the surname Mazarin, most famously Cardinal Jules Mazarin, a 17th‑century Italian‑French statesman who served as chief minister to Louis XIV. The name has been used in various forms to denote cultural and administrative legacies associated with Mazarin.

In color usage, mazarine refers to a deep blue pigment or shade, often called mazarine blue. It is associated with a dark, cool blue that can carry a slight purplish undertone, and has appeared in art, fashion, and design literature as a distinct color choice.

The Bibliothèque Mazarine, founded in 1643 by Cardinal Mazarin, is the oldest public library in France. Located in Paris, it is closely linked to the Institut de France and houses a substantial collection of manuscripts, incunabula, and rare books. It remains an important research library in the French literary and scholarly world, with holdings that attract scholars from around the world.

As a given name, Mazarine is rare but used in French-speaking contexts. Notable bearer include Mazarine Pingeot (born 1974), a French author and journalist who is the daughter of former president François Mitterrand. The name’s usage today tends to be singular and culturally specific, reflecting its historical associations with Mazarin and his legacy.