▁was ▁the ▁preserve ▁of ▁the ▁el ite . ▁Before ▁ 1 4 6 0 , ▁Brit t any ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁university , ▁and ▁Bre ton ▁students ▁had ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁Ang ers , ▁Po it iers ▁or ▁Ca en . ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁N antes ▁was ▁founded ▁under ▁the ▁du ke ▁Francis ▁II , ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁aff irm ▁the ▁Bre ton ▁independence ▁from ▁France . ▁All ▁the ▁traditional ▁discipl ines ▁were ▁taught ▁here : ▁arts , ▁the ology , ▁law ▁and ▁medicine . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁it ▁had ▁around ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁students . ▁It ▁decl ined ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁mostly ▁because ▁N antes ▁was ▁fl our ishing ▁with ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁slave ▁trade ▁and ▁paid ▁no ▁attention ▁to ▁its ▁cultural ▁institutions . ▁▁ ▁A ▁mayor ▁eventually ▁asked ▁the ▁university ▁to ▁be ▁re located ▁to ▁R ennes , ▁more ▁devoted ▁to ▁culture ▁and ▁science , ▁and ▁the ▁fac ult ies ▁progress ively ▁moved ▁there ▁after ▁ 1 7 3 5 . ▁The ▁transfer ▁was ▁interrupted ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution , ▁and ▁all ▁the ▁French ▁univers ities ▁were ▁dissol ved ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 3 . ▁ ▁Napoleon ▁re organ ised ▁the ▁French ▁education ▁system ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 8 . ▁He ▁created ▁new ▁univers ities ▁and ▁invent ed ▁two ▁secondary ▁education ▁institutions : ▁the ▁" coll è ges " ▁and ▁the ▁" ly c ées " ▁which ▁were ▁opened ▁in ▁numerous ▁towns ▁to ▁educ ate ▁boys