A veritable architectural gem in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the Sorbonne was originally a school created in 1253 on the initiative of Louis IX for 16 needy students wishing to study theology. It became the Sorbonne when Robert de Sorbon, the king's confessor, gave it his name. After 1885, the Sorbonne became the most important university in France, and today it is still one of the leading universities in Paris. The Sorbonne church was built between 1635 and 1642 by Jacques Lemercier, in accordance with Richelieu's wishes. His tomb, sculpted by François Girardon in 1694, can also be found in the church. The dome is the work of Philippe de Champaigne. Today, Sorbonne University is a symbol of Parisian student life and a must-see for history and knowledge buffs.
Did you know?
The Sorbonne University, famous for its academic prestige, was the place where Pierre de Coubertin proposed the reinstatement of the Olympic Games at a sports festival in 1892, and where a congress in 1894 put the idea into practice, giving rise to the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.
