Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Victor-Hugo College in Besançon finds its origins in a Jesuit convent founded in 1597, after a century of difficult existence prompted local notables to entrust their college to the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits ruled until their abolition in 1765. The adjoining church, built around 1680, and the main buildings (1718–37) form the heart of the monument, complemented by a court of honour, a courtyard, and a fountain added in 1735. The ensemble, rebuilt at the end of the seventeenth century, becomes an educational and religious symbol in the city.

During the French Revolution (1789–99), the college was transformed into a public meeting place, housing the Society of Friends of the Constitution, affiliated with the Jacobins, which invested the chapel. In the 19th century, he changed his name according to political regimes: royal college under the Restoration, then imperial high school under the Second Empire (1852–70). Key figures study or teach, such as Louis Pasteur (student in 1842) and Stéphane Mallarmé (teacher from 1866 to 1867). The establishment expanded in 1865 with the acquisition of the Grosbois Hotel and the Capuchin House.

During the 1870 war, the school served as a hospital and commemorated its deaths by a monument in the lobby. In 1885 he was renamed Victor-Hugo High School, inaugurated by President Jules Grévy. In the 20th century, he underwent the successive occupation of the Second World War (military hospital in 1939, German troops in 1940, liberation by the Allies). In 1986, after losing his second cycle, he finally became Victor-Hugo College, maintaining his educational and heritage role.

The architecture of the college is distinguished by its three courtyards (one of which is 500 m2), the ironwork of the period (Am-shaped grilles for Ave Maria), and its chapel, considered one of the most beautiful of Besançon. The church Saint-François-Xavier, former Jesuit chapel, has been listed as a historical monument since 1942, followed by the fountain and all buildings in 1996. The site also houses commemorative plaques for students who died in wars.

Today, the College welcomes 1,000 students and about 100 staff, while opening its doors at the Open University. Its history reflects the political, educational and architectural upheavals of France, from the Ancien Régime to the contemporary era.

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