Once at the famous French Sorbonne University, teaching was conducted in Latin. Hence, it was customary to call the Latin Quarter of Paris the streets adjacent to the Sorbonne on the slopes of Mount Saint Genevieve on the left bank of the Seine. Today this place was chosen not only by students, but also by guests of the city. In the Latin Quarter, dozens of inexpensive cafes and bistros are open. Here you can buy interesting souvenirs and stylish clothes, look through books in second-hand bookshops and bask in the sun in the Luxembourg Gardens.
How the Sorbonne began
One of the world's oldest temples of science was founded in the middle of the 12th century and quickly gained a high reputation in the Old World. The Sorbonne was a school of theology and high arts and is still proud of its first famous graduates - Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus and Roger Bacon.
In 1790, the theological school ceased to exist, and then, by decree of Napoleon, its premises were transferred to the ownership of the city university. Today, in the Latin Quarter in Paris, there are thirteen independent institutions of higher education, three of which have retained the prefix "Sorbonne" in their name.
The center of the University of Paris is considered an architectural monument of the mid-17th century, which is called the Chapel of St. Ursula Sorbonne. The building was built in the Baroque style and is under state protection. Today it hosts exhibitions and official receptions.
Best view of Notre Dame
On the embankment of the Seine in the Latin Quarter of Paris, there is a pretty square by René Viviani. The best view of Notre Dame Cathedral opens from here, and the main celebrity of the small park is the oldest tree in the capital. False acacia was brought in 1680 from Guyana, then a French colony.
Walking along the Seine, tourists usually drop by second-hand bookstores, which sell postcards and books, prints with views of Paris and stamps. The Museum for the Promotion of Public Hospitals awaits visitors nearby. Despite the somewhat dissonant name, it offers a rather interesting exposition on the history of medicine and pharmaceuticals.
Useful little things
- Crossing the Pont Sully to the Ile Saint-Louis in the Latin Quarter of Paris, you can admire the panorama from the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral and take a walk in the park with interesting modern sculptures.
- There is an inexpensive food market on the Place Maubert on Sundays and Thursdays where you can buy excellent cheeses.
- At the beginning of Karm Street there is the Police Museum, where you can also visit the interiors of the currently operating gendarmerie department.
