Collège des Quatre-Nations (College of the Four Nations)
Title
Collège des Quatre-Nations (College of the Four Nations)
Description
Collège des Quatre-Nations, was one of the colleges of the University of Paris. The building itself was built with baroque influences by Louis Le Vau (1612-1670). The completion of the college, its construction, and its opening in 1688 all happened during Louis XIV's reign (1643-1715). Le Vau proposed to the executors of the estate that the college be placed on the left bank of the Seine River so that Louis XIV would have a clear view of it from his apartments ("Paris").
The starting and ending dates of the Enlightenment is generally considered to be late 17th century and early 19th century, or rather an "extended 18th century". The college was built around the times that the Enlightenment began in Western Europe. In 1666, King Louis XIV had founded the learned society he named the French Academy of Sciences. The man who suggested the foundation of this society to Louis XIV was Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the same man who was one of the executors of the College ("Academy..."). The French Royal Academy of Sciences was one of many of the learned societies/acadèmies that started to emerge at the time. The ever-growing participation in these academies, not only the Sciences, was a symbol of the emphasis on reason, individualism, and skepticism.
In 1805, the Collège des Quatre-Nations was given to the Institut de France which had five academies (Humanities, Sciences, Fine Arts, Architecture, and Political Sciences) under its name. Institut de France still runs the building and is the site is also a museum.
References:
"Academy of Sciences: French Organization." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed November 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/.
"Paris." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed November 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/.
The starting and ending dates of the Enlightenment is generally considered to be late 17th century and early 19th century, or rather an "extended 18th century". The college was built around the times that the Enlightenment began in Western Europe. In 1666, King Louis XIV had founded the learned society he named the French Academy of Sciences. The man who suggested the foundation of this society to Louis XIV was Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the same man who was one of the executors of the College ("Academy..."). The French Royal Academy of Sciences was one of many of the learned societies/acadèmies that started to emerge at the time. The ever-growing participation in these academies, not only the Sciences, was a symbol of the emphasis on reason, individualism, and skepticism.
In 1805, the Collège des Quatre-Nations was given to the Institut de France which had five academies (Humanities, Sciences, Fine Arts, Architecture, and Political Sciences) under its name. Institut de France still runs the building and is the site is also a museum.
References:
"Academy of Sciences: French Organization." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed November 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/.
"Paris." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed November 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/.
Creator
Louis Le Vau
Source
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/03_Institut_de_France.jpg
Date
1662-1684
Contributor
Kaan Taskintuna
Rights
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Citation
Louis Le Vau, “Collège des Quatre-Nations (College of the Four Nations),” HIST 139 - Early Modern Europe, accessed May 18, 2024, https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/215.