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Origin and history

Vaugelas High School, located in Chambéry en Savoie, came into being in 1564 when the Jesuits obtained permission to establish a college by letters patent from the Duke of Savoie. Opened in 1566 with a grammar class, it gradually spreads with teachings of mathematics (1573), humanities (1582), and philosophy (1604). In 1729 Victor-Amédée II prohibited the Jesuits from teaching, transforming the establishment into Royal College, while maintaining a boarding school for wealthy families.

In 1792, the French Revolution annexed the Savoy, closing the college for three years. Reopened in 1795 under the name of École Centrale du Mont-Blanc, it became a municipal secondary school in 1804 after a closure in 1803. Napoleon visited the school in 1805, with 260 students. In 1810, she was promoted to Imperial College, and then returned to Royal College under the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardaigne in 1815, with a return of the Jesuits in 1823.

The annexation of Savoie to France in 1860 transformed the National College into the Imperial Lycée of Chambéry, the first high school in the Pays de Savoie. In 1870 he became a National High School. Between 1889 and 1892, major works refurbish the premises, including the partial destruction of the former convent of the Visitation to build the Marcoz wing and the Minerve pavilion. The chapel, the only vestige of the convent, was listed as a historical monument in 1950 (façade) and registered in 1995.

The high school adopted its present name, Vaugelas, in 1966 in tribute to Claude Favre de Vaugelas, an academician and son of President Favre. The current premises, resulting from the convent of the Visitation founded in 1624 by Jacqueline Favre, include buildings such as that of the Clock (1827-1830) and modern extensions, including a school restaurant opened in 1999. In 2023, the high school was recognized as the 7th best in France and offered specialized teachings such as theatre or Greek.

The Chapel of the Visitation, built between 1648 and 1726, houses 19th-century murals. The school, owned by the commune, retains a main entrance marked by the Minerve pavilion, adorned with a bas-relief of the goddess of knowledge. In 2021, a new building including a boarding school was inaugurated, further modernizing the historic establishment.

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