Collège de France, Higher education institution in Latin Quarter, Paris, France
The Collège de France is a research and teaching institution in the Latin Quarter that spans several buildings with laboratories and a substantial library holding rare scientific manuscripts. The buildings sit near other historic educational institutions in this part of the city.
King Francis I founded the institution in 1530 as the Collège royal, offering instruction in Hebrew, Ancient Greek, and Mathematics outside standard university rules. This founding allowed new fields of knowledge to be taught that traditional universities rejected.
The institution maintains a tradition of free public lectures delivered by leading researchers across multiple disciplines, from humanities to sciences. Visitors can attend these sessions and sit in rooms filled with curious minds from the city.
All courses are open to the public without registration, fees, or examinations, and many lectures are available online through podcasts. It helps to check the event schedule before visiting to learn current dates and locations of sessions.
The institution appoints professors without permanent positions, making it possible to adjust teaching programs quickly to new fields of research. This flexible structure sets it apart from traditional universities that tend to hold onto established subjects.
Inception: 1530
Founders: Francis I of France
Website: https://college-de-france.fr
GPS coordinates: 48.84917,2.34556
Latest update: December 8, 2025 17:19
The Latin Quarter is one of the oldest parts of Paris and preserves traces from over two thousand years of history. Roman remains like the Arènes de Lutèce recall the ancient settlement of Lutetia, while medieval churches such as Saint-Étienne-du-Mont and Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre document the religious past. The Sorbonne and the Collège de France have made the district a center of learning since the Middle Ages, and institutions like the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève continue this academic tradition. The Musée de l'Histoire de la Médecine traces the development of medicine, the Musée Curie honors the scientific discoveries of Marie and Pierre Curie, and the Musée des Arts du Moyen Âge displays medieval art within the ruins of Roman baths. Narrow streets lead to squares like Place de la Contrescarpe and Place de l'Estrapade, where locals gather in cafés and markets. The Marché de la Rue Mouffetard is one of the city's oldest street markets and offers fresh produce daily. Literary and artistic traces appear at the Maison de Serge Gainsbourg, the historic jazz cellar Le Caveau de la Huchette, and cafés like Le Procope, which has welcomed writers and thinkers since the 17th century. The Jardin des Plantes combines botanical collections with the Musée de Minéralogie, while the Square René-Viviani provides a quiet view of Notre-Dame with its ancient tree. The Grande Mosquée de Paris and the Institut du Monde Arabe add North African and Arab perspectives to the cultural offerings.
Square Samuel-Paty
138 m
Collège de Beauvais
115 m
Église des Saints-Archanges
125 m
Astronomy tower of the Sorbonne
120 m
Square Michel-Foucault
32 m
Square Auguste-Mariette-Pacha
39 m
67 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris
101 m
Monument to Octave Gréard
136 m
Michel de Montaigne
142 m
Octave Gréard
135 m
Statue de Guillaume Budé, Collège de France
49 m
Mihai Eminescu
85 m
Fountain
124 m
Jean-François Champollion
28 m
Chapelle de l'ancien collège de Presles, Paris
140 m
Immeuble Le Couteur
91 m
PA_39
116 m
Dante
35 m
Ronsard
60 m
Espace Vision'Art
128 m
PA_1407
66 m
Galerie Philippe Lawson
139 m
Bust, Work of art
67 m
Henri de Monantheuil
50 m
Memorial, commemorative plaque
137 m
Dans cette maison est mort le 10 février 1878 Claude Bernard
60 m
Ici vécut Jean Dausset
39 m
Memorial, commemorative plaque
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