# Académie française founded (1634)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1634-academie-francaise-founded
Location: Paris

Richelieu formalized the academy to regulate and promote the French language. Within the broader Bourbon & Ancien Régime period, Bourbon France became a leading European power through stronger royal government, global expansion, war and court culture. Fiscal strain, social privilege and Enlightenment criticism accumulated beneath the apparent strength of the Ancien Régime. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Louis XIII (King of France). Académie française founded mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Académie française founded mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders.

Ruler at the time: [Louis XIII](https://history-france.com/rulers/louis-xiii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Académie française founded](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Acad%C3%A9mie+fran%C3%A7aise+founded&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Académie française founded](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Acad%C3%A9mie+fran%C3%A7aise+founded)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)