Collège des Bernardins

In the 13th century, Europe underwent a profound intellectual revolution: universities gradually replaced monasteries and became the new educational centers of the great cities. Paris experienced an unprecedented cultural influence and Dominican, Franciscan and Cistercian monks were encouraged to study there. It was in this context that the Collège des Bernardins was created by the Abbot of Clairvaux in 1248, based on the architectural model of the Cistercian abbeys. Classified as a historical monument since 1887, the Collège des Bernardins is one of the largest medieval buildings in the capital and impresses with the beauty of its volumes and remains.