International audience This work offers an analysis of the development and the diffusion of French-speaking theoretical and quantitative geography in Europe. We verified our hypothesis that the development of this scientific movement occurred in three steps (birth, expansion/normalization and diversification) by studying an event characteristic of this movement: European Colloquiums of Theoretical and Quantitative Geography (ECTQG). The study of scientific events specific to the theoretical and quantitative movement, or at least considered as such, is a means to comprehend its development and diffusion.After examining the list of communications for each ECTQG, we grouped the authors according to the cities that correspond to their institutional affiliation. Co-signatures (via their authors) between geographically distant cities were then illustrated by lines that vary in thickness depending on how many they are.The chronological analysis of ECTQGs using this approach revealed that the development of the movement was marked by the emergence of cross-site collaborations which later became international. Four elements can be highlighted: the rising number of persons involved, the growing coordination between researchers, the three-phase configuration of the movement and the diversification of locations.