Under the cupola...

Not easy to get in here, but there are some exceptions...

We all know the “Institut de France” from outside. Approaching it on the Pont des Arts, we admire the cupola and we know that it’s the place where all the French “académies” have their official meetings.

I already posted about this building in a post about the “Bibliothèque Mazarine” (Mazarin library), in the eastern wing, and told the story about how it was originally created as a “Colllège des Quatre Nations” and opened in 1682 – bequest by Cardinal Mazarin at his death in 1661. This fantastic building (architect Le Vaux) was thus a school building – for privileged pupils - until the Revolution. In 1805 Napoleon decided to make it the place for the French “académies”. (Previously they were housed at the Louvre – actually they had disappeared during the revolutionary years but were reestablished.)

Originally, the space under the cupola was made as a chapel, where Mazarin’s tomb should be placed. When the academies* were installed, the space was transformed - and has been again, now with seats (in green for the academy members, in grey for invited people).

The round cupola that we see from the outside is less round seen from the inside. Through the inner windows we can see that there are other windows behind.

Mazarin’s tomb is now in the entrance hall. The beautiful monument (by Coysevox and others)  is however empty of its contents – the Revolution passed. Actually there is another little cupola also over this space. … and of course we can again find Napoleon.

On a photo from around 1900 we can see that a statue was placed in front of the building. For some reason, it has later been moved to a place nearby. The monument in question from 1848 is the first official representation of the French Republic.  

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- Académie Française (French Academy, concerning French language), founded in 1635
-Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres (Academy of Humanities), founded in 1663
-Académie des Sciences (Academy of Sciences), founded in 1666
-Académie des Beaux-arts (Academy of Fine Arts), created in 1816 after merger of previous art and music academies
-Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, (Academy of Moral and Political Sciences), founded in 1795, suppressed in 1803 and reestablished in 1832