Exhibition: “Robert de Sorbon in the Spotlight: From the Man to the Institution”

To mark the 825th anniversary of his birth, the exhibition "Robert de Sorbon in the Spotlight: From the Man to the Institution" invites you to discover the man who gave his name both to our library and to our university. Where did he come from? What was his background? How did he contribute to the dissemination of knowledge in the Middle Ages? What is his legacy, and what memory do we retain of this preacher, teacher and benefactor of students in the Middle Ages? Come and find the answers to these questions at the Sorbonne Interuniversity Library, from September 17 to December 16, 2026!

The History

Robert de Sorbon was born in the Réthelois region (northern Champagne) on October 9, 1201. Born into a modest family, his intellectual abilities led him towards a career in the Church: he went to study at a brand-new Parisian institution, the University. He pursued his studies there and established a reputation as a brilliant preacher. Louis IX was impressed by his sermons, and Robert became a member of the royal court. With the support of his fellow university masters, the king and his entourage, Robert de Sorbon founded around 1257 a house intended to accommodate poor students of theology, inspired by the organization of the Franciscan and Dominican convents in Paris. In this new college, made up of houses purchased in the University district, students lived together and could borrow books and practice various academic exercises. This is what characterized the Sorbonne: it was not simply a "student residence", but a considerable collection of books, reflecting the intellectual dynamism of the medieval University, and a community forged through shared reading, academic exercises and religious devotion. The college's influence and prestige explain the gradual merging of the college and the University, a process completed in the 19th century: the Sorbonne preserves the memory of its first founder through documents, images and inscriptions which, depending on the context, contribute to an academic, historical or political narrative.

The Exhibition

The exhibition was developed by students of the Master's degree in History Research at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (2025 cohort), under the direction of Claire Angotti (URCA, CERHIC). It places Robert's life within its political, religious and intellectual context, before presenting the many facets of this fascinating figure: preacher, moralist, benefactor of students, and founder of one of the largest libraries in the Western world. It also presents the wide variety of documents that make it possible to document Robert's life and the memory of him within his college and the University. In addition to these various panels, the exhibition features an unprecedented presentation of original documents and facsimiles from the BIS collections. These documents shed light on the founding of the college, the intellectual life of the Sorbonists and the major sites of the medieval college, while also helping visitors understand how the memory of Robert de Sorbon was constructed through the creation of texts and the dissemination of images depicting him, alongside figures ranging from Louis IX to Richelieu, from the 17th to the 20th century.

Exhibition Curatorship

Claire Angotti, Senior Lecturer (CERHIC/IRHT, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne)

For the BIS: Isabelle Diry-Löns, Department of Manuscripts and Early Printed Books; Sylvie Struyve, Elisabeth Dagrada and Cécila Huteau, Conservation and Restoration Workshop; Séverine Damiani, Marion Duplaix, Communications Office

September 17 through December 16, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Sorbonne Library, 17 Rue de la Sorbonne, 75005 Paris
Audience: Open to the public - free admission