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Origin and history

The Lycée Louis-le-Grand, located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, originates in the Collège de Clermont, founded in 1550 by the Jesuits in the Hôtel de Guillaume du Prat, bishop of Clermont. This college, created to combat Protestant Reformation through teaching, officially opened in 1563 under the name Collegium Societatis Iesu. Its rapid success aroused the hostility of the University of Paris, leading to a 30-year legal conflict (1564-1594). In 1594, after the assassination of Henri IV by a former pupil, Jean Châtel, the Jesuits were banished from France, and the college was closed until 1603.

In 1618, the college reopened under the name of Collège Louis-le-Grand, after Louis XIII (under the influence of Marie de Médicis) confirmed the patent letters of 1610 authorizing his teaching. The establishment prospered under royal protection, becoming an educational model with more than 3,000 students in the 17th century. In 1682 Louis XIV granted him his official patronage. The college also houses a school of interpreters for Eastern languages (Turkish, Arabic, Persian) from 1700, before being absorbed by INALCO in 1873.

The revolutionary period (1789-1799) radically changed the establishment: it was renamed Equality College and served briefly as a prison during Terror. In 1795 he became the French Prytanée, grouping the scholars of the Parisian colleges abolished. Under Napoleon, he was renamed Imperial High School (1805) and retained this status under various regimes, despite changes of name (Descartes high school in 1848 and 1870). The current buildings, rebuilt between 1885 and 1888 by architect Charles Le Coeur, replace a disparate 19th century ensemble.

In the 20th century, the high school was distinguished by its academic excellence (25 awards at the General Competition in 2022) and its role in social movements, such as May 68. Today, it houses nearly 1,800 students, including 900 in preparatory classes, and a scientific museum preserving historical experimental material. Its courtyard façades have been classified as Historic Monument since 1926. The high school remains a symbol of Republican elitism, with former students such as Robespierre, Baudelaire, or several presidents of the Republic.

The establishment is also distinguished by student traditions, such as taking the Christmas tree in front of the Pantheon, and unique linguistic sections (eastern Chinese section since 2007). His boarding school, with a capacity of 339 places, and his House of the Lyceans (created in 2013) animate a rich cultural life, including annual theatre creations. Since 2023, it has hosted a part of the PSL's Multi-Disciplinary Cycle of Graduate Studies (CPES).

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