"We must know how to inspire in our pupils a passion for the beautiful. Let us put history into their souls; without that, memories will fade and we shall have wasted our time. In seeing the empires that rise and fall one after the other, they will perhaps learn to rise above their own troubles. They will thus better understand the sic transit gloria mundi, and their hearts, disillusioned with what is nothing, will be more strongly drawn to Him who alone remains in the midst of so many ruins."
- St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

"History can not be reduced to simply bringing texts and ancient documents to the light of day. Whether one wishes or not, it is a thoughtful recital that each generation consecrates to its past, re-thought each time in a new way, reformulated by the resurgence of new events and problems."
- Arlette Farge, French historian, 1986