Latin Quarter

Latin Quarter : The Michelin guide review

During the times of Ancient Rome, the Romans already lived in this quarter, and, preferred the slopes of Sainte-Geneviève, leaving the «plain» to the Gauls. During the 12th century, clerks and scholars crossed the Seine and set up on the left bank, once they were free from the control of the diocese. In 1215, the University of Paris was founded, which was the first one in France. Numerous colleges then opened in the quarter to meet the flow of students from all over Europe. The college set up by Robert de Sorbon, founded in 1253, was going to have highly successful future, but the colleges of Sainte-Barbe, Escossois or Navarre were equally prestigious. And, right up to 1793, the classes were given in Latin, which was the main language used in the quarter! After the upheaval of the Revolution, the quarter's university calling was confirmed: the Sorbonne, the law faculty, the Ecole Polytechnique (the prestigious engineering college), the Collège de France, Henri IV, Louis-le-Grand and Saint-Louis lycées, the Ecole Normale supérieure (prestigious teaching training school) were set up there, and even if some of them have been later «relocated», Censier's and Jussieu's creations have carried on the tradition. Medieval alleyways, students whose unruly reputation is no longer a reality, cinemas, numerous restaurants from Mount Sainte-Geneviève to Boul'Mich, from Mouffe to Luxembourg attract crowds both by day and at night.