Institut de France
This point of interest is available as audio on the tour: Visit Paris, From the Mona Lisa to the Notre-Dame Cathedral
The magnificent building before you is the Institute of France, often called “The Parliament of the Learned World.” Founded in 1795, it was created to bring together the brightest minds from all five French academies. During the French Revolution, the royal academies were abolished, so they had to come up with some sort of equivalent. The aim was to, and I quote, “gather findings and perfect the arts and sciences.” Today, the building houses five prestigious academies: the Academy of Fine Arts, the Academy of Humanities, the Academy of Sciences, and the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. It’s also home to the Mazarin Library, one of the oldest public libraries in France.
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