[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

Histoire de Paris

Le Collège de France
En 1530, François 1er, conseillé par Guillaume Budé et son entourage humaniste, nomme six lecteurs royaux (deux pour le grec, trois pour l’hébreu, un pour les mathématiques) indépendants de l’Université. «Basti en hommes, non en pierres», le «Collegium regium Galliarum» voit sa construction encore ralentie par l’assassinat de Henri V: âgé de 9 ans, Louis XIII pose en 1610 la première pierre d’un édifice, repris par Chalgrin en 1773. A la fin de l’ancien régime, il compte une vingtaine de chaires, où trouvent place tous les enseignements novateurs, au point de lui donner figure de modèle pour la réorganisation de l’enseignement projetée sous la Révolution. Agrandi au XIXe siècle, il s’étend de nouveau au XXe siècle pour faire face au développement de ses laboratoires.

[illustration of the College]

One of the series of signs describing historical places in Paris. The signs were placed starting in 1992 and are also called sucettes Starck (Starck’s Lollipops) after Philippe Starck who designed them.

The plaque describes the early days of the Collège de France, a higher research institution, which, unlike the Sorbonne, does not award academic degrees. The institution was originally established to specialize in mathematics, ancient Greek and Hebrew. Today it is engaged in other fields.

The college was photographed on the same day Click for a larger image Click for a larger image

The illustration in the center of the sign is shown here at magnification Click for a larger image

Translation of the text on the sign:

[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

History of Paris

The College of France
In 1530, François I, advised by Guillaume Budé and his humanist entourage, appointed six royal readers (two for Greek, three for Hebrew, one for mathematics) independent of the University. “Basti in men, not in stones”, the “Collegium regium Galliarum” (The Royal College of Gaul) saw its construction further slowed down by the assassination of Henry V: aged 9, Louis XIII laid the first stone of a building in 1610, taken over by Chalgrin in 1773. At the end of the old regime, it had around twenty chairs, where all the innovative teachings found a place, to the point of giving it a model for the reorganization of education planned under the Revolution. Enlarged in the 19th century, it expanded again in the 20th century to cope with the development of its laboratories.

[illustration of the College]