Created in 1795, the Institut de France's mission is to provide the five Academies with a harmonious framework for working on the improvement of literature, science and the arts, on a non-profit basis.A major philanthropic player, it encourages research and supports creation through the awarding of prizes, scholarships and grants.Placed under the protection of the President of the Republic, it is also the guardian of an important heritage made up of residences and collections which have been bequeathed to it since the end of the 19th century.The building was originally constructed as the Collège des Quatre-Nations by Cardinal Mazarin, as a school for students from new provinces attached to France under Louis XIV. The inscription over the façade reads "JUL. MAZARIN S.R.E. CARD BASILICAM ET GYMNAS F.C.A M.D.C.LXI", attesting that Mazarin ordered its construction in 1661