L'abbé Sicard célèbre instituteur des sourds-muets, successeur immédiat de l'abbé de l'Épée

Stepping into the 18th‑century world of French education for the deaf‑mute, this vivid biography follows the life of a modest priest from a Languedoc village who rose to become the immediate successor of the famed Abbé de l’Épée. After ordination in Toulouse, his talent for language and compassion catches the eye of Bordeaux’s archbishop, leading to the creation of a new school for impoverished deaf‑mute children in 1782. Determined to master de l’Épée’s methods, he spends a year in Paris studying the pioneering signs before returning to implement them, quickly earning a reputation for turning silent students into articulate scholars.

The book weaves together a concise history of his reforms, his correspondence with the baron de Gérando, and reflections from contemporaries who witnessed his dedication. Readers gain a clear picture of a man whose perseverance helped lay the foundations of deaf‑mute instruction, all presented with scholarly care yet accessible to anyone curious about this remarkable chapter of social history.