Sorbonnes

Sorbonnes is a term that refers to a cluster of institutions and places associated with the historic University of Paris, centered on the original Sorbonne in the Latin Quarter of Paris. The name derives from the Collège de Sorbonne, founded in 1257 by Robert de Sorbon as a college for poor students; it quickly became a core part of the medieval university and a symbol of humanities education in Paris.

Over the centuries, the Sorbonne came to stand for the humanities faculties of the University of Paris and for the various colleges and campuses that carried its branding. After the dissolution of the University of Paris during the French Revolution, the system was reorganized multiple times, and in the 19th and 20th centuries the term Sorbonne remained closely linked to Paris’s humanities teaching and research.

In the modern era, the University of Paris was reorganized into autonomous institutions. Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV) and Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI) carried the Sorbonne name as distinct entities until their 2018 merger into Sorbonne Université. The name also persists in other institutions that retain the Sorbonne heritage, such as Sorbonne Nouvelle University Paris 3 (Sorbonne Nouvelle) and other campuses using the Sorbonne label. The historic Sorbonne building remains a visible symbol of the humanities, housing faculties, administration, and the Bibliothèque de la Sorbonne, one of the university’s principal libraries.