European Heritage Days 2026

To mark European Heritage Days on September 19 and 20, 2026—whose theme this year is “Heritage in Peril” —the Collège de France invites you to join an exceptional tour of its two sites in the heart of the Latin Quarter. This tour will allow you to appreciate the richness and diversity of both the heritage and the mission of this illustrious institution, which has been dedicated to the advancement of knowledge for five centuries.

Schedule and Admission Requirements

The Marcelin-Berthelot site and the Cardinal-Lemoine site will be open on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.:

Marcelin-Berthelot Site

11, place Marcelin-Berthelot – 75005 Paris

Highlights of your visit:

• The Letarouilly Courtyard, whose 19th-century portico was recently restored thanks to support from the Clément Fayat Foundation and Crédit Agricole d’Île-de-France Mécénat.
• The Marguerite de Navarre Amphitheater, where, among other events, the famous opening lectures are delivered.
• The assembly hall, where the formal deliberations that govern the institution’s operations take place. Professors and members of the archives staff will provide information about this venue, with its iconic furnishings and decor.
• The rooftop terrace of the research building, a space for relaxation and socializing for all the institution’s staff, offering a magnificent view of Paris.

Books published by the Collège de France Publishing Department will be available for purchase and signed by their authors during book-signing sessions on the rooftop terrace.

Book Signing

• Saturday, September 19
  • 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Maria Melchior
  • 12:00 PM–1:00 PM: Patrick Boucheron
  • 3:00 PM–4:00 PM: Jean-Jacques Hublin, Arthur Dreyfus, and Léa Louis
  • 4:00 PM–5:00 PM: François Héran
  • 5:00–6:00 p.m.: William Marx

Various souvenirs featuring the Collège de France’s colors will be available at the pop-up shop open for this event.

A special activity for children, in the form of a game booklet, will allow them to discover the history of the Collège de France through puzzles and questions.

Cardinal-Lemoine Campus

52 Rue du Cardinal-Lemoine – 75005 Paris

At the Cardinal-Lemoine site, located just a few minutes from the Marcelin-Berthelot site, visitors can explore the Institute of Civilizations. This institute brings together all of the Collège de France’s chairs, laboratories, and research libraries dedicated to the great civilizations of the past and the societies studied by anthropology and ethnology.
The public will have access to the building’s garden level, as well as the Byzantine library.

Activities for children will be offered.

Thirty-minute mini-lectures will be given by professors from the Collège de France—by prior registration—reflecting the variety of fields and research topics covered by the institution’s chairs.
A book-signing session will be held following each mini-lecture.

Mini-lectures by professors from the Collège de France (30 minutes) and book signings, accessible by prior registration (link available starting in September) :

• Saturday, September 19
  • 10:30–11:30 a.m.: Denis Knoepfler, “An Ancient Greek Site Still Spared from Overtourism (But for How Long?): The Sanctuary and Fortress of Rhamnonte Excavated by the Archaeological Society of Athens”
  • 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Didier Fassin
  • 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge, “Preserving the Classical Heritage: Pausanias’s Travels under the Roman Empire”
  • 1:30–2:30 p.m.: Jean-Noël Robert, “Evgeni Polivanov (1891–1938), Martyr of Orientalism and Pioneer of Japanese Studies”
  • 2:30–3:30 p.m.: Jean-Luc Fournet, “Pagan Temples in Christian Egypt: Heritage Under Threat, Abandoned, or Preserved?”
  • 3:30–4:30 p.m.: Nalini Anantharaman, “René Descartes’ Method in Geometry”
  • 4:30–5:30 p.m.: Alain Supiot, “The Equal Dignity of Cultures”

• Sunday, September 20
  • 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Thomas Römer
  • 2:30–3:30 p.m.: Dominique Charpin, “Iraqi and Syrian Heritage in Danger”
  • 3:30–4:30 p.m.: Dario Mantovani, “‘Law’: The History of a Word, the Fate of an Idea”

The chairman of the Collège de France, professors, and staff look forward to welcoming you in large numbers to these events, which offer an opportunity to discover a site of national memory. The Collège de France’s missions—conducting fundamental research and disseminating knowledge to all, year-round, with no restrictions on access or educational requirements—constitute a vocation unique in the world, perfectly illustrated by the spirit of openness and sharing embodied by the European Heritage Days.

The restoration and conservation efforts for the Collège de France’s heritage carried out in 2026 are supported by the Clément Fayat Foundation, Crédit Agricole d’Île-de-France Mécénat, and the Louis Vicat Foundation.