The Institut de France is a learned society, grouping five académies, including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris (France), Seine embankment in front of Louvre, the institute manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and châteaux open for visit. It also awards prizes and subsidies, which amounted to a total of over €27 million per year in 2017. Most of these prizes are awarded by the institute on the recommendation of the académies.
The building was originally constructed as the Collège des Quatre-Nations by Cardinal Mazarin, as a school for students from new provinces attached to France under Louis XIV. The inscription over the façade reads “JUL. MAZARIN S.R.E. CARD BASILICAM ET GYMNAS F.C.A M.D.C.LXI”, attesting that Mazarin ordered its construction in 1661.
Académies
- Académie Française (French Academy, concerning the French language) – initiated in 1635, suppressed in 1793, and restored in 1803 as a division of the institute.
- Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres (Academy of Humanities) – initiated 1663.
- Académie des sciences (Academy of Sciences) – initiated 1666.
- Académie des Beaux-Arts (Academy of Fine Arts) – created 1816 as the merger of:
The Académie de peinture et de sculpture (Academy of Painting and Sculpture, initiated 1648);
The Académie de musique (Academy of Music, initiated 1669) and;
The Académie d’architecture (Academy of Architecture, initiated 1671). - Académie des sciences morales et politiques (Academy of Moral and Political Sciences) – initiated 1795, suppressed 1803, reestablished 1832.
Working hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday Closed
Thursday Closed
Friday Closed
Saturday 10 AM–6 PM
Sunday Closed
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