Robert de Sorbon, the founder
The Sorbonne University is located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, Paris’s student district.
Founded in 1257 by Robert de Sorbon, chaplain to King Louis XI, the institution was initially intended to provide theological training to brilliant students from modest backgrounds.
Placed under royal patronage, the Sorbonne quickly acquired great renown and considerable influence in political and religious circles.
Over the centuries, Sorbonne graduates played a decisive role in major historical events. They indeed participated in heated debates surrounding the Great Schism (1378-1417), the trial of Joan of Arc a century later in 1431, and the excommunication of the Jesuits in 1672.
However, the Sorbonne University’s involvement in controversial affairs gradually led to an erosion of its authority.
Cardinal Richelieu rebuilt La Sorbonne University
Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister of King Louis XIII, commissioned the reconstruction of the Sorbonne in the 17th century.
He did, however, preserve the Church of Sainte Ursule, where his white marble mausoleum was placed after he died.
At the dawn of the French Revolution in 1789, the influence of the Sorbonne had already declined. However, Napoleon breathed new life into it in 1808 by founding the University of Paris.
The architect Henri-Paul Nénot, a student of Charles Garnier, the creator of the Paris Opera, rebuilt the Sorbonne in the 1880s.
The new university occupies an entire city block, which stretches from the Rue Saint-Jacques, Rue Cujas, Rue des Écoles, to the Rue de la Sorbonne, and includes 22 lecture halls, examination rooms, and auditoriums.
Place and Rue de la Sorbonne
Rue de la Sorbonne was opened when Robert de Sorbon’s college was founded, and is thus one of the oldest streets in the Latin Quarter.
Place de la Sorbonne was created during the reconstruction of the Sorbonne in the 17th century, but has undergone significant transformations in recent decades.
Today, it’s a lively pedestrian zone, lined with outdoor cafes and bookstores, where students and tourists mingle.
If you look at the ground, you’ll see some light-coloured paving stones. They trace the outlines of buildings from the Roman quarter (insula) that stood there more than 2,000 years ago. You’ll also find the remains of an old well, now disused.
Directions: 5th District
Metro: Cluny-La Sorbonne on Line 10
Coordinates: Lat 48.848471 – Long 2.342947
