It had a leading role in influencing architectural theory and education, not only in France, but throughout Europe and the Americas from the late 17th century to the mid-20th.

[1] The Académie Royale d'Architecture was founded on December 30, 1671, by Louis XIV, king of France under the impulsion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert.

From 1720 to 1968, the Académie Royale d'Architecture and its successors held annual competitions for the Grand Prix de Rome in architecture.

By 1793 there were 33 members, divided into two classes, plus a third consisting of correspondents living in the French provinces and in foreign countries.

[1] Later members included:[3] From 1911 to 1929, the French art historian Henry Lemonnier published the proceedings of the academy in ten volumes with the title Procès-verbaux de l'Académie royale d'architecture 1671–1793: