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Origin and history

The Eugène-Napoléon Foundation finds its origin in a gesture of charity by Empress Eugénie. On the occasion of her marriage to Napoleon III in 1853, she refused a diamond necklace offered by the city of Paris and instead asked for the creation of an orphanage for girls, financed by the equivalent amount of the jewel. The architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff, inspired by the shape of the necklace, designed the buildings, inaugurated on 28 December 1856 by the Empress herself. The institution is named in honor of the imperial prince Eugene Napoleon, son of the imperial couple.

In 1858, the foundation was recognized as a public utility under the name Maison Eugène-Napoléon, before being renamed the Eugène-Napoléon Foundation in 1974. The buildings, partially listed as historical monuments in 1997, house a chapel decorated by the painter Felix-Joseph Barrias, designed on the paleo-Christian model. The initial set, planned for 60 and then 300 orphans, was enlarged in the 1960s by a 9-storey tower, used as a home until the 1990s.

After security problems caused its closure, the site is undergoing major restructuring under the direction of architect Suzel Brout, hailed for its quality and nominated for Silver Square. Today, the foundation hosts a vocational high school, primary and nursery schools, as well as accommodation for female students, perpetuating its educational and social vocation.

The architectural project of Hittorff, marked by a strong imperial symbolism, and the commitment of Empress Eugénie to girls' education reflect the philanthropic values of the Second Empire. The chapel, with its unique nave and its murals, as well as the Empress's salon, bear witness to the fascination and heritage dimension of the place, preserved despite subsequent transformations.

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