Sorbonne University

The Sorbonne is defined by its long, austere facade of gray stone along the Rue des Ecoles, punctuated by high, arched windows and the imposing statue of Victor Hugo. Founded in twelve fifty-seven by Robert de Sorbon as a humble college for theology students, it eventually grew into the intellectual heart of the University of Paris. During the May nineteen sixty-eight protests, students occupied these halls, transforming the classrooms into radical political forums that paralyzed the city and forced the French government to reconsider its future.