College of Sorbonne facts for kids
The College of Sorbonne (French: Collège de Sorbonne) was a very important school in Paris, France. It was part of the University of Paris. A kind man named Robert de Sorbon started it in 1253. The school was named after him.
The Sorbonne was closed down in 1792 after the French Revolution. It opened again in 1808 but closed for good in 1882.
Today, when people say "Sorbonne," they often mean the main building of the University of Paris. This building is in the 5th area of Paris. It holds many different parts of the university, which was split into thirteen separate universities in 1970.
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What Was the Sorbonne?
Robert de Sorbon grew up in a small village. He was the son of farmers. He became a wise teacher of theology (the study of religion). He was also a priest at Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. He even became a close advisor to King Louis IX, also known as Saint Louis.
When Robert de Sorbon started his college, the University of Paris was already quite old. It had thousands of students. Getting a high degree in theology could take up to twenty years! This meant students needed a lot of money to live and study. Some students who were part of religious groups got free housing and food. But many other students were poor and had no support.
Robert de Sorbon wanted to help these poorer students. So, he bought some houses and turned them into places for students to live and eat. The college officially started in 1253. King Louis IX supported its creation in 1257. At first, there were about twenty students. As the college grew, Robert de Sorbon added a huge library with over a thousand books. He also built a chapel.
A Famous School
The Sorbonne became the most respected school for theology in France. Its teachers were often asked for their opinions on important religious matters. In 1470, the Sorbonne had one of the first printing presses in France. This helped spread books and ideas.
The school was very active in stopping new religious ideas, like Protestantism, that were different from the main Catholic faith. Many famous people studied there, including Cardinal Richelieu. He was a very powerful leader in France. Richelieu later helped renovate the Sorbonne. He built new buildings, including a beautiful chapel with a dome. He also left a lot of his money and books to the Sorbonne. He is buried in its chapel. Today, only this chapel remains from Richelieu's time.
Changes Over Time
During the French Revolution, the Sorbonne closed its doors in 1791. For a short time, the chapel was even used for non-religious purposes. Later, Napoleon used the college buildings as art studios.
In 1822, the Sorbonne became home to parts of the University of Paris that taught literature, science, and theology. In 1885, the theology part of the school officially closed. This was because France decided to separate church and state.
The old Sorbonne buildings, except for the chapel, were torn down. A brand new Sorbonne building opened in 1889. It had a large hall for events, meeting rooms, and offices for the university's leader. It housed the arts and sciences departments. The chapel was no longer used for religious services, but for special events and displays.
In 1971, after student protests in 1968, the University of Paris was divided into thirteen separate universities. The new Sorbonne building became home to several of these new universities and other important schools.
How It Started
Robert de Sorbon was a well-known professor and preacher. He noticed a problem with how the University of Paris was set up. Two main religious groups, the Dominicans and the Franciscans, had their own schools in Paris. They offered free lessons that students could attend.
Robert de Sorbon believed the university should also offer free teaching. He wanted it to be able to compete with these religious groups. He also thought that professors should live together and share their lives, like monks, but without taking special vows.
His important work was possible because people in Paris respected him so much. He was also very smart and generous. His friends helped him a lot too. The Sorbonne officially started around 1257. Many brilliant scholars were connected to the first classes or groups at the Sorbonne.
How It Was Organized
The way Robert de Sorbon set up the Sorbonne was simple. It had a leader called a provisor. It also had associates (members) and guests (visitors). The provisor was in charge. Nothing could be done without asking him. He chose new members and made sure the rules were followed.
The associates were the main group of the school. To join, a student had to have already taught a class in philosophy. There were two types of associates: those who paid a fee and those who got free support from the school. The free support was only for people who didn't earn much money. There was also a primus inter pares (first among equals) called the prior. He managed all the daily matters inside the school.
Both doctors and bachelors could join. But because there were so many bachelors, it became common to choose only them. Other students could be candidates to join the group. They got the same benefits as members, like food, lodging, books, and lessons. But they couldn't vote. Once they had taught philosophy, they could become full members. The study program lasted ten years. If students hadn't shown their skills as teachers or preachers by then, they had to leave the program.
History of the College
The regular lessons at the Sorbonne were open to everyone. So, students who weren't full members could still attend. Teachers and bachelors were also allowed to give shelter to other poor students. Besides classroom work, students also had to preach or help in local churches. To prepare for this, the members would give sermons or talks to the community on certain days. The spiritual side of life was also important. The prior would give talks about Christian and priestly life, especially to the students living at the college.
For twenty years, the leaders of the Sorbonne followed the founder's wise rules. Robert de Sorbon had written down 38 rules. These rules helped keep the community living together, from being quiet in the dining hall to wearing simple clothes. Around 1271, Robert de Sorbon also added a school for literature, called the "little Sorbonne."
The way Robert de Sorbon set up his college lasted for centuries. It became a model for other schools. The idea was that everyone, both teachers and students, should be equal in their simple life. Most students were poor, and teachers were happy with just what they needed. Robert de Sorbon always said, Omnes nos sumus socii et aequales, which means "We are all companions and equals." He called the college pauperem nostram Sorbonem, meaning "our poor Sorbonne."
From the very beginning, the college was supported by the Pope. Pope Alexander IV (1259) asked French bishops to help it. Later popes also praised it. Rich people gave the college a lot of money. The school kept a very high standard of learning. The exams for degrees were very tough and famous. The teachers were highly respected. People from all over Europe sent their religious and political questions to the Sorbonne for answers.
In 1470, the Sorbonne brought the art of printing to France. They invited three of Johannes Gutenberg's helpers to Paris. Cardinal Richelieu was one of the most important supporters of the Sorbonne. He was the head of the college for a while. In 1635, he started building a new building for the college at his own expense. He was buried in the church of the Sorbonne, and his tomb is still there.
The teachers at the college strongly defended the Catholic faith against new ideas like Protestantism and the Enlightenment. Over time, other theology teachers from the university also became members of the Sorbonne. By the early 1500s, the Sorbonne's staff was almost the same as the university's theology department. Robert de Sorbon had created a library, which grew very quickly because of many gifts.
However, the professors also supported Gallicanism, which meant they believed the French king had more power over the church in France than the Pope. This made the Sorbonne less important as a top theology school. Students who wanted to become priests had to go to other schools. The Sorbonne itself was closed down by the government on April 5, 1792, after the French Revolution.
Napoleon brought it back in 1808 as the theology part of the newly organized university. But it never became as important or influential as it once was. It continued until 1882, when it was finally closed. In 1884, construction began on the current Sorbonne building, which was finished in 1889. In the early 1900s, it was used by different departments for literature and science.
Famous People Who Studied Here
- Antoine Arnauld
- Pope Clement VI
- Jean-Baptiste Dubos, a historian
- Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, a powerful French leader
- Nicole Oresme, an old master of the Collège de Navarre
- Thomas of Ireland, who wrote a popular book called Manipulus florum
- Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, a famous scholar
See also
- Sorbonne
- Sorbonne University
- Medieval university
