The Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image
On the banks of the Charente, in renovated wine warehouses, the CIBDI brings together a museum, a public library, a cinema and the 'Vaisseau Mœbius': the reference cultural institution of the ninth art in Europe.
An institution born of passion
The Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image — known by the acronym CIBDI — is the logical outcome of fifty years of Angoulême's commitment to comics. Gradually founded in the wake of the International Festival, it now occupies several renovated buildings on the banks of the Charente river, in the Saint-Cybard district, a few hundred metres from the upper town. Its architecture blends old and contemporary: the chais (former wine warehouses) have been carefully converted to house the collections and welcome the public, while modern extensions complete the ensemble.
The museum: the history of the ninth art
The CIBDI museum is the centrepiece of the complex. Its permanent route retraces the history of comics from its origins — the earliest sequential images of the 19th century — through to contemporary creation. The original collections include original boards, sketches, mock-ups and archival documents that make it possible to chart the evolution of techniques and styles over the decades. Authors such as Hergé, Moebius, Franquin, Tardi, Bilal and Christophe Blain are represented in the holdings.
Alongside the permanent route, the museum offers major temporary exhibitions, often linked to publishing news or the festival programme. These exhibitions regularly receive loans from foreign institutions and contribute to the CIBDI's international reach. The museum also runs guided tours, workshops for schools and author meetings.
The public reference library
The CIBDI houses one of the world's most significant specialist libraries devoted to comics. The holdings exceed 100,000 items — albums, magazines, fanzines, critical works, exhibition catalogues — covering all traditions of world comics: Franco-Belgian, American, Japanese, Korean, African and Latin American. The library is open to the public and serves as a reference tool for researchers, authors, students from art schools and comics enthusiasts from around the world. Its specialist staff responds to research requests and guides visitors through the collections.
The Vaisseau Mœbius
Named in homage to the cartoonist Jean Giraud, known as Moebius — one of the greatest comics artists of the 20th century —, the Vaisseau Mœbius is the Cité's original building, at 121 rue de Bordeaux, linked to the museum by a footbridge over the Charente. It houses the comics library, the documentation centre and free temporary-exhibition galleries. Its glass-and-metal silhouette is one of the landmarks of the riverside.
The CIBDI cinema
Completing the facilities, the CIBDI has a cinema devoted to animated film, comics adaptations and auteur cinema linked to the image. Thematic cycles are regularly organised there, in connection with the exhibitions and festival programme. The Cité cinema takes part in the local cultural fabric by offering a programme that complements the city's commercial cinemas.
The CIBDI in Angoulême's ecosystem
The CIBDI is not an isolated institution: it is the central node of an ecosystem that includes the Magelis studios, the EESI, the EMCA and the city's other museums. Synergies exist with the network of specialist bookshops in the town centre and with the painted walls that make Angoulême an open-air comics gallery. The capital of comics finds in the CIBDI its most emblematic institution — the one that gives permanent form to the city's cultural vocation beyond its event-driven gatherings.
Visiting the Cité de la BD: practical questions
Which buildings make up the Cité de la BD and what is in each?
The Cité is spread over both banks of the river, linked by a footbridge: the comics museum, in the former Magelis wine storehouses on quai de la Charente; the Vaisseau Mœbius, 121 rue de Bordeaux, home to the comics library, the documentation centre and free exhibitions. Add to these the Cité cinema (60 avenue de Cognac) and the Maison des auteurs (3 avenue de Cognac), an artists' residence.
What are the comics museum's opening hours?
The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 11 am – 6 pm, and Sundays and public holidays 2 pm – 6 pm; in July and August, Tuesday to Saturday 10 am – 7 pm and Sundays 2 pm – 7 pm. Closed on Mondays. Check citebd.org before your visit.
How much does the comics museum cost?
Full price €10, reduced €6 (students, over-60s, jobseekers), free for under-18s. Exhibitions at the Vaisseau Mœbius are free.
Where is the Cité de la BD library?
The comics library is in the Vaisseau Mœbius, 121 rue de Bordeaux, on the opposite bank from the museum. It opens Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 2 pm to 6 pm (closed on Thursdays outside school holidays).
How long should I allow for a visit?
Allow 1 h 30 to 2 hours for the museum and its temporary exhibition, plus 30 minutes to an hour for the Vaisseau Mœbius and the bookshop. The museum is about a 10-minute walk from the upper town, so combine it with the painted-walls trail.
Find the CIBDI
The Cité de la BD is situated on the banks of the Charente, quai de la Charente, within walking distance of the upper town (about 10 minutes) or via the pedestrian bridge.