Sainte-Avoye in Paris in Département de Paris, Île-de-France, France — Western Europe
Jean Le Rond d'Alambert
| — | Histoire de Paris | — |
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, July 26, 2022
1. Jean Le Rond d'Alambert Marker
Né le 16 novembre 1717, abandonné sur les marches de l'église Saint-Jean Le Rond par sa mère, la marquise du Tencin, le futur mathématicien et philosophe est recueilli par l'épouse d'un vitrier, madame Rousseau, qui vit ici. Très attaché à elle, il demeure 48 ans chez sa nourrice, malgré les 12 000 livres de rente que lui lègue son pere, le chevalier Destouches, après avoir pourvu à son éducation. Bachelier ès arts, il se consacre aux mathématiques après avoir essayé le droit et la médecine; ses premiers travaux le font entrer à l'Académie des sciences comme associé astronome adjoint, à 24 ans. En 1745, il s'engage avec Diderot dans la grande aventure de l'Encyclopédie; chargé de la rédaction du Discours préliminaire, véritable manifeste des Lumières salué comme un chef-d'oeuvre dès sa parution (1750), il y souligne le lien entre le progrès social et celui des sciences. Sa célébrité lui ouvre tous les salons, de madame Geoffrin à Julie de Lespinasse, chez qui il s'installe en 1764. Elu membre de l'Académie française en 1754, il en devient le secrétaire perpétuel jusqu'à sa mort, survenue le 29 octobre 1783.
Born on November 16, 1717, and abandoned on the steps of the church of Saint-Jean Le Rond by his mother, the Marquise du Tencin, the future mathematician and philosopher was taken in by the wife of a glazier, Madame Rousseau, who lived here. Very attached to her, he remained with his nurse for 48 years, despite the 12,000 livres a year bequeathed to him by his father, the Chevalier Destouches, after provision for his education. Obtaining Bachelor of Arts, he devoted himself to mathematics after having tried law and medicine; his first work brought him into the Academy of Sciences as an associate lecturer in astronomy, at age 24. In 1745, he joined Diderot in the great adventure of writing the Encyclopedia; charged with the writing of the Preliminary Discourse, a true manifesto of the Enlightenment, it was hailed as a masterpiece as soon as it was published (1750), he emphasized the link between the social and scientific progress. His fame opened up to him all the salons, from Madame Geoffrin to Julie de Lespinasse, with whom he settled in 1764. Elected a member of the French Academy in 1754, he became its permanent secretary until his death, which occurred on October 29, 1783.
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Location. 48° 51.743′ N, 2° 21.327′ E. Marker is in Paris, Île-de-France, in Département de Paris. It is in Sainte-Avoye. It is on Rue Michel le Comte, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21 Rue Michel le Comte, Paris, Île-de-France 75003, France. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, a coastal Mediterranean country, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a French colony and also the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Edmond Louis Alexis Dubois-Crance (a few steps from this marker); Hôtel d’Hallwyll (within shouting distance of this marker); Lycée Nicolas Flamel Deported Jewish Students Memorial (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line);
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, November 2, 2024
2. Jean Le Rond d'Alambert Marker - wide view
Also see . . .
1. Jean le Rond d'Alembert (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: "Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert (16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the Encyclopédie. D'Alembert's formula for obtaining solutions to the wave equation is named after him. The wave equation is sometimes referred to as d'Alembert's equation, and the fundamental theorem of algebra is named after d'Alembert in French."(Submitted on August 20, 2022.)
2. Preliminary Discourse to the Encyclopedia of Diderot (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: "The Preliminary Discourse to the Encyclopedia of Diderot (Discours Préliminaire des Éditeurs) is the primer to Denis Diderot's Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une Société de Gens de(Submitted on August 20, 2022.)lettres, a collaborative collection of all the known branches of the arts and sciences of the 18th century French Enlightenment. The Preliminary Discourse was written by Jean Le Rond d'Alembert to describe the structure of the articles included in the Encyclopédie and their philosophy, as well as to give the reader a strong background in the history behind the works of the learned men who contributed to what became the most profound circulation of the knowledge of the time."Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, November 2, 20243. Jean Le Rond d'Alambert Marker - wide viewThe marker is visible here on the right side of the street, next to two women who are reading it.
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Credits. This page was last revised on May 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 20, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 273 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 20, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 3. submitted on November 9, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
