Sorbonne University

The Sorbonne, a thousand-year icon of knowledge

The Paris audio-guided tour takes you before the huge building of the new Sorbonne, which occupies a whole block. Built at the end of the nineteenth century by the architect Henri-Paul Nénot, it houses one of the oldest universities in the world, whose history is far older than its present walls.

From the college of Robert de Sorbon to the university

The University of Paris was born at the very start of the thirteenth century. In 1253, Robert de Sorbon founded a college for poor students of theology, which would give its name to the whole institution. Over the centuries, the Sorbonne became one of the greatest intellectual centres of Europe, a symbol of the influence of knowledge and thought in the West.

What there is to see

The late-nineteenth-century building displays a monumental architecture, with its courtyard of honour, its chapel and its painting-adorned lecture halls. Place de la Sorbonne, in front of the entrance, is a lively spot of the Latin Quarter. The Sorbonne remains the beating heart of Parisian university life and a symbol of intellectual Paris.

Practical information

The Sorbonne is between Rue des Écoles and Place de la Sorbonne, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. An active university institution, its interior is accessible only under particular conditions, notably during guided tours or events. The façade and the square can be contemplated freely.

When was the Sorbonne founded?

The college of Robert de Sorbon was founded in 1253, at the origin of the institution. The present building was built at the end of the nineteenth century by Henri-Paul Nénot.

Who was Robert de Sorbon?

Robert de Sorbon founded in 1253 a college for poor students of theology, which gave its name to the Sorbonne and to the whole university.