A Walking Tour Paris

Continue up rue de la Montagne Ste-Geneviève and turn right onto rue des Écoles and the Collège de France will on your left, up the steps at No. 11 Place Marcelin-Berthelot. This is one of Paris’ great institutes of learning, established in 1530 by François I, under the encouragement of the humanist Guillaume Budé. The king was trying to counteract the intolerance and dogmatism of the neighbouring Sorbonne. There is a statue of Budé in the western courtyard, a man whose unbiased approach to learning is reflected in the inscription over the college entrance: docet omnia (all are taught here). Lectures are still free and open to anyone who cares to attend.