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  5. 75005 Paris 5e Arrondissement

  6. Sorbonne (La)

Sorbonne (La) à Paris 1er dans Paris

Paris

Sorbonne (La)

    17 Rue de la Sorbonne
    75005 Paris 5e Arrondissement
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Crédit photo : En-bateau - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1300
…
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1253
College Foundation
1622-1642
Reconstruction by Richelieu
1793
Revolutionary Dissolution
1885-1901
Reconstruction by Nenot
Mai 1968
Student riots
1970
University dismemberment
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Chapelle de la Sorbonne : by order of 10 February 1887; Great vestibule; Honor staircase; Grand Amphitheatre; Hall of Authorities; large exhibition of the rectorate as well as the two small salons that surround it: classification by decree of 30 September 1975; Façades and roofs on streets and courtyards of all buildings: inscription by decree of 30 September 1975

Key figures

Robert de Sorbon - Founder of the College Chapelain de Louis IX, founded the college in 1253.
Cardinal de Richelieu - Rebuilder and principal Modernized the Sorbonne in the 17th century.
Jacques Lemercier - 17th century architect Designed the chapel of Saint Ursule.
Henri-Paul Nénot - Architect of current buildings Rebuilt the Sorbonne (1885-1901).
Pierre et Marie Curie - Symbolic teachers Marie Curie first female professor (1906).
Puvis de Chavannes - Painter of the great amphitheatre Author of the Holy Drink (1889).

Origin and history

La Sorbonne was founded in the 13th century by Robert de Sorbon, chaplain of Louis IX, in 1253. The college was set up to accommodate poor students in theology and soon became a major centre of the University of Paris, before being dissolved in 1793 during the Revolution. Its name, derived from the native village of its founder (Sorbon, in the Ardennes), gradually moved to designate the entire Parisian university.

In the 17th century, the Cardinal of Richelieu, former pupil and principal of the college, undertook an ambitious reconstruction between 1622 and 1642. The architect Jacques Lemercier erected a monumental chapel (now Sainte-Ursule), the only vestige of the buildings of Ancien Régime, classified as a historical monument in 1887. The chapel, deconsecrated in 1905, now houses exhibitions. After the Revolution, the site was transformed into artists' workshops under Napoleon before becoming a teaching place again.

The present Sorbonne owes its face to the work carried out between 1885 and 1901 by Henri-Paul Nénot, in a neo-Renaissance and classical style. The complex, organized around three ensembles (academic palace, faculty of literature, faculty of science), includes prestigious amphitheatres, a library decorated with Art Nouveau frescoes, and decorations celebrating the university heritage. The chapel of Richelieu, preserved, dominates the court of honor.

The twentieth century marked a turning point with the events of May 68, where the Sorbonne became a symbol of student protest. After the dismemberment of the University of Paris in 1970, the building was shared among several institutions (Paris I, Sorbonne University, etc.), while remaining a place of memory and ceremony, as during the national tribute to Samuel Paty in 2020.

Partly classified as historical monuments (chapel, large amphitheatre, facades), the Sorbonne retains an exceptional artistic heritage: frescoes of Puvis de Chavannes (Le Bois sacré), allegorical sculptures, and historical paintings. Its large amphitheatre, decorated in green tones, and its library with muffled canvases reflect the educational ambition of the Third Republic.

Today, despite the challenges associated with its shared management and reduced attendance (partial closures, enhanced security), the Sorbonne remains a monument full of symbols, between medieval heritage, republican grandeur and contemporary issues. His name, contested by several universities, still embodies the prestige of French higher education.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum