The Academy of Sciences owes its origin to Colbert's plan to create a general academy. He chose a small group of scholars who met on December 22 , 1666 in the King's library, and thereafter held twice-weekly working meetings there. The first 30 years of the Academy's existence were relatively informal, since no statutes had as yet been laid down for the institution.
On January 20 , 1699 , Louis XIV gave the Company its first rules. The Academy received the title of Royal Academy of Sciences and was installed in the Louvre in Paris . On August 8 , 1793 , the National Convention abolished all the academies. On August 22 , 1795 , a '''National Institute of Sciences and Arts''' was put in place, bringing together the old academies of the sciences, literature and arts. In 1816 , the '''Academy of Sciences''' became autonomous, while forming part of the Institute Of France ; the head of State remained its patron. The Academy proceedings were published under the name ''Comptes Rendues de l'Académie des Sciences'' (1835-1965). The publications can be found on the French National Library in pdf format.
Today the Academy is one of five academies comprising the and Physical sciences and their applications and the Chemical , Biological , Geological and Medical sciences and their applications.
