Living Latin in Paris is an intensive Latin experience focusing on Medieval Latin and set in Paris. Participants read important Latin texts from the Medieval to the Renaissance period that relate to the city of Paris, the intellectual capital of Medieval Europe. Daily readings are paired with visits to important historical and literary sites in Paris and its environs. Both on site and in the classroom, participants are encouraged to communicate with instructors and each other in Latin. The program's goal is to provide an intensive period of Medieval Latin study while helping participants form strong connections with Medieval Latin literature and culture.
Prerequisites
Participants must be over the age of 18 by the time the program starts and should know the basics of Latin grammar. This usually means the equivalent of one year of college or two years of high-school Latin. No experience speaking Latin is required, but experienced Latin speakers are also encouraged to apply.
Classroom and Housing
Student housing and classrooms for Living Latin in Paris are located in the Latin Quarter. Le Quartier Latin takes its name from the Medieval students at the Sorbonne, who continued to speak Latin long after the rest of Europe had begun speaking the vernacular languages.
Course participants can stay in triple or quadruple rooms with other participants in the Hotel Marignan. Participants selecting this option will be matched by gender and age. Alternatively, participants may elect to find and pay for their own housing in Paris. We recommend staying in the Latin Quarter, so as to be close to the classroom and meeting spots. There are many comfortable and affordable options in the area, for example the Hotel Cujas.
For photos of classrooms and accommodation click here.
The Program take place in the Latin Quarter, in the vicinity of the Sorbonne.
The course is hosted in the Monastery of Saint Esprit, one of the last functioning monasteries in Paris.
Classes take place in classrooms located within the monastery.
Participants may stay in shared hotel rooms in the Latin Quarter.
Meaghan is a graduate student at Brown University and has a B.A. in classics from Stanford University, where she wrote a thesis on the relationship between politics, poetry, and gender in Catullus. Her other interests include ancient religion, Latin and Greek syntax, intellectual history, and Red Sox baseball. She is an alumna of Living Latin in Paris (2016), and was a Rome Fellow (2016-2017).
After a decade of service to Benedict XVI and Francis as a papal Latinist, Daniel Gallagher was named the Ralph and Jeanne Kanders Professor of the Practice in Latin at Cornell University in 2017. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan, the Catholic University of America, and the Pontifical Gregorian University and has published extensively in medieval philosophy, especially in the areas of metaphysics and aesthetics. He is dedicated to handing on the Latin language based on the principles and methodology of his long-time mentor, Reginald Foster.
A native of Rome, Marco Romani Mistretta studied Classics at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and received a PhD in Classical Philology from Harvard University before joining the Paideia Institute. He currently directs the Institute's European branch and oversees all financial reporting, including income statements, balance sheets, and annual budgets. He also manages the Paideia Press. Besides being the author of several research publications, he has taught a number of courses on ancient languages, Greek and Roman literatures, and science in antiquity. He peer-reviews articles for Sage Business Cases.
Roberto Salazar is a Ph.D. student in Comparative Literature at the University of Versailles. A former fellow of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, he holds a double B.A. in Classics and Philosophy, and an M.A. in Classics and Comparative Literature (Paris-Sorbonne). He is interested in the reception of classical works in the Arab World, Modern Greece and Latin America (Borges in particular), and has done research on European Classical Reception and Neo-Latin. Over the years he has developed a keen interest in learning and teaching languages, both ancient and modern. He has taught Latin and Greek in Bogota, Paris and Berlin. He currently leads the Spoken Latin workshop at the ENS and is writing a second M.A. thesis on Homeric Classical Scholarship.
Continuing Education Units (CEU's) are also available for this program at no cost.
Costs
Tuition with housing: $1750
Tuition without housing: $1350
Request an Application
Students of at least 18 years of age and at least an intermediate knowledge of Latin grammar are invited to apply. This usually means at least one year of college or two years of high school Latin.