Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Jeanne-d'Arc High School in Clermont-Ferrand, built between 1894 and 1899 by municipal architect Jean Teillard, embodies the educational ideal of the Third Republic. Originally conceived as a high school of young girls, it is distinguished by its eclectic style, blending Romanesque arches, Byzantine minarets and northern gables, with local materials such as landesite or l His U-shaped plan, centered on an inner courtyard, reflects a functional organization (administration, classrooms, boarding school), while integrating remarkable decorative elements: bust of Jeanne d'Arc by Henri Gourgouillon, bas-reliefs by Claude Bouscau (1964), and casts of historical statues.

Listed as historical monuments in 2001, the ensemble also includes the Petit Lycée (1877-1880) by François-Louis Jarrier, as well as protected interior spaces (honour staircase, chapel, library). The site has undergone major extensions, such as the externate of the 1960s by Georges Noël, and a total renovation between 1987 and 1992 (security, course layout, self-creation and documentation centres). Symbol of modernity for his time, he illustrates the Republican ambition of female education and architectural innovation.

The high school also played a historic role during the Liberation: between 1945 and 1946, he opened an annex in Vichy to compensate for the absence of a high school of girls in this city, before the creation of the high school of the Celestines. Today, the institution is distinguished by its academic excellence (99% baccalaureate success in 2024) and its international sections (British, Chinese, European). It also houses a unique artistic heritage, such as varnished terracotta and frescoes celebrating Jeanne d'Arc.

Key figures related to the high school include resistors such as Germaine Tillion, scientific pioneers (Thérèse Planiol, first female medical associate), or cultural figures (Laure Adler, Danièle Gilbert). Ranked 3rd most beautiful lycée de France in 2023 (Topito), it combines heritage heritage and educational dynamism, while being an LPO refuge since 2025.

The architecture of the high school, hailed for its functionalism and aesthetics, uses various materials (brick, limestone, cast iron) and symbolic motifs (bas-reliefs on the life of Joan of Arc). The chapel, the vestibule adorned with a replica of the statue of Domrémy, and the terraced gardens (now partially disappeared) testify to this richness. Owned by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the site remains an emblematic example of French school heritage.

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