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

Histoire de Paris

Jean Le Rond d’Alembert
Ne le 16 novembre 1717, abandonné sur les marches de l’église Saint Jean Le Rond par sa mère, la marquise du Tencin, le futur måthématicien et philosophe est recueilli par l’épouse, d’un vitrier, madame Rousseau, qui vit ici. Très attacie à elle, il demeure 48 ans chez sa nourrice, malgré les 12 000 livres de rente que lui lègue son père, le chevalier Destouches, après avoir pourvu à son éducation. Bachelier es arts, il se consacre aux mathématiques apres avoir essayé le droit et la médecine; ses premiers travaux le font entrer à l’Académie des sciences comme associé astronome adjoint, à 24 ans, En 1745, il s’engage avec Diderot dans la grande aventure de l’Encyclopédie; chargé de la rédaction du Discours préliminaire, véritable manifeste des Lumières salué comme un chef-d’œuvre dès sa parution (1751), il y souligne le lien entre le progrès social et celui des sciences. Sa célébrité lui ouvre tous les salons, de madame Geoffrin à Julie de Lespinasse, chez qui il s’installe en 1764. Elu membre de l’Académie française en 1754, il en devient le secrétaire perpétuel jusqu’à sa mort, survenue le 29 octobre 1783.

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 sign is in front of the house where the French mathematician, engineer, physicist and philosopher Jean Le Rond d’Alembert (1783-1717) grew up, who was one of the editors of the "Great Encyclopedia", and innovated a lot in the fields of mathematics and physics.

The house was photographed on the same day 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

Jean Le Rond d’Alembert
Born on November 16, 1717, abandoned on the steps of the Saint Jean Le Rond church by his mother, the Marquise du Tencin, the future mathematician and philosopher was taken in by the wife of a glazier, Madame Rousseau, who lived here . Very attached to her, he remained with his nanny for 48 years, despite the 12,000 pounds of income left to him by his father, the Chevalier Destouches, after having provided for his education. A bachelor of arts, he devoted himself to mathematics after having tried law and medicine; his first work brought him to the Academy of Sciences as an assistant astronomer at the age of 24. In 1745, he embarked with Diderot on the great adventure of the Encyclopedia; responsible for writing the Preliminary Discourse, a true manifesto of the Enlightenment hailed as a masterpiece upon its publication (1751), he underlined the link between social progress and that of science. His celebrity opened all the salons to him, from Madame Geoffrin to Julie de Lespinasse, with whom he moved in 1764. Elected a member of the French Academy in 1754, he became its perpetual secretary until his death on the 29th. October 1783.