As a haven for open discussion and investigation, the Collège de France has a special place in the academic world, both in France and abroad. Always in step with the evolution of knowledge, the institution has nonetheless remained true to the spirit of freedom and independence that has characterized it since it was founded in 1530. Over the years, its professors have brought this monument of knowledge into being ; today, three of them have tackled the task of recounting its past and recording its present. Antoine Compagnon, Pierre Corvol and John Scheid provide a behind-the-scenes view of a unique institution that continues to combine tradition and modernity.