Discover Paris famous centres of learning which are architectural gems.
Sorbonne Universite
Paris first prestigious university, the University of Paris, was founded at the beginning of the 13th century by master of theology Robert de Sorbon, with many colleges created on Montagne Sainte-Genevieve overlooking the Left Bank of the Seine.
By the 17th century, Cardinal de Richelieu commissioned the architect Jacques Lemercier to renovate all the buildings, including creating the renowned Baroque-inspired domed chapel. Under the Third Republic it again benefitted from an ambitious renovation project under the guidance of the architect Henri-Paul Nenot. Building projects to create a new Sorbonne took place from 1882 to 1901, including demolishing Lemercier’s buildings (except for the chapel)
The first half of the 20th century saw many scientific developments emerge, including Marie Curie’s work on radium. The student protests of May 1968 resulted in the disappearance of the Universite de Paris as such, with 13 universities created in its place including Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV), specialising in literature, arts and humanities and the University Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC – Paris VI) specialising in science and medicine. Sorbonne Universite, a new, multi-disciplinary world-class university combining Paris IV and UPMC was created in 2018 and has a community of 55,000 students.
Place de la Sorbonne
6th arrondissement
Metro: Cluny – La Sorbonne (Line 10)
UNIVERSITE DE PARIS
Born in 2019 from the merger of the universities of Paris Diderot, Paris Descartes and Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Universite de Paris is located on 20 campuses and research sites from the 5th to 18th arrondissements. When the Universite Paris Descartes (Paris V) was originally founded, it aligned itself with the philosophy of Rene Descartes (1596-1650) and his modern scientific approach.
It houses several museums, including the Musee d’Histoire de la Medecine, open to the public.
12 Rue de I’Ecole de Medecine 6th arrondissement Metro: Odeon (Line 4)
PANTHEON-SORBONNE UNIVERSITY
A descendant of the Faculty of Law and Economics of the Sorbonne, Universite Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne has 40,000 students and five institutes which offer top level degree courses in law, political science, economics, management and the humanities, playing a major role in training judges, lawyers and top French civil servants.
12 Place du Pantheon
5th arrondissement
Metro: Cardinal Lemoine (Line 10)