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Origin and history

The Jesuit College of Saint-Omer, founded in 1568 on the initiative of Bishop Gérard d'Haméricourt, aimed to counter Protestant influence in the Spanish Netherlands. Set up on Rue du Viel Brusles (current Gambetta Street), it welcomed 200 students from its opening, with courses of humanity, philosophy and theology. The initial chapel, built in 1569-1570, became the bishop's burial place, which financially supported the institution until his death.

In the 17th century, the college experienced a cultural and religious boom, marked by annual theatre performances (such as La Vie de Saint-Martin in 1581) and the creation of Marian sodalities. In 1585, a formation house for Jesuits was added, and the number of pupils went out 600 in 1591, attracting students from France, the Netherlands, and even England (college of the English Jesuits founded in 1593). Despite the wars and epidemics (in 1595), the institution maintained its activities, combining free education and charitable missions.

The construction of a new chapel, begun in 1620 under the direction of Brother Jean Du Blocq, was completed in 1640 after interruptions related to Franco-Spanish conflicts. The college survived the sieges of Saint-Omer (1638) and the plague, celebrating in 1640 the centenary of the Society of Jesus. After the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), Artois was attached to France in 1678, but the Jesuits retained their autonomy in the face of the Gallican pressures of Louis XIV. The episcopal seminary, originally linked to the college, became independent in 1691.

The 18th century marked a gradual decline: the number of students fell (280 circa 1750), and conflicts with the Jansenist bishop Francis of Valbelle limited the teaching of moral theology. Despite reconstruction work (1733-1752), the removal of the Jesuit order in 1762 by the Paris Parliament led to their expulsion. The college was taken over by priests of the Christian Doctrine in 1777, before being closed in 1792 during the Revolution.

The site, transformed into a prison, asylum or shop during the Revolution, became a school again in 1802 (imperial college in 1808, then high school in 1848). Since 1924, it has been home to Alexandre-Ribot High School. The chapel, classified as a historical monument in 1942, and the buildings partially listed in 1977, recall its Jesuit heritage and its central role in the educational history of Saint-Omer.

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