Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Lycée Saint-Louis was founded in 1280 by Raoul d'Harcourt, canon and adviser to Philippe IV le Bel. Designed to welcome poor students from the Norman dioceses (Coutances, Bayeux, Évreux, Rouen), it becomes a major intellectual home, welcoming up to 40 scholars in theology and philosophy. The statutes of 1311, drafted under the impetus of his brother Robert d'Harcourt, bishop of Coutances, specify his organization: 28 art fellows and 12 theology fellows, led by a Norman principal elected by the elders.

During the Wars of Religion, the college, a Catholic bastion, was confiscated by Henry IV before being reformed to open up to the nobility of dress and the Parisian bourgeoisie. In the 17th and 18th centuries, he competed with the Jesuit college of Clermont and welcomed figures such as Racine, Boileau or Perrault. Principal Thomas Fortin, close to Pascal, plays a key role in spreading Jansenist ideas. The college also houses theatre performances, including the premiere of La Mort de César de Voltaire in 1735, linked to Abbé Asselin, then principal.

The French Revolution ended its activities in 1793: the buildings were demolished in 1795. In 1820, the Lycée Saint-Louis was rebuilt on the same site, first as a royal college, then as an imperial high school under Napoleon I. He gradually specialized in scientific teaching, abolishing the Latin-Greek classes before 1945 and in 1969 becoming the only French public high school exclusive to preparatory classes (CPGE). His internship, reserved for scientists as early as 1885, and his results of excellence in competitions (Polytechnique, Centrale, Mines) made it a reference.

The high school is marked by the conflicts of the twentieth century: it serves as German barracks during the occupation and its students participate in the world wars, indochina and Algeria. In May 1968, his position against the Sorbonne made him a strategic place for demonstrations. A symbol of his heritage, a gate to the College of Harcourt, listed as a historic monument in 1926, is still visible in the parlor. Today, it welcomes 1,300 students in CPGE and houses modern infrastructure (CDI, gymnasiums, chapel), while perpetuating its historic anchor on Mount Sainte-Geneviève.

His history is also that of his successive names: college d'Harcourt (1280–95), Collège royal Saint-Louis (1820–48), lycée Monge (1848), then lycée imperial Saint-Louis before adopting his current name in 1870. His former students include five Nobel Prize winners, two Presidents of the Republic and one Fields medallist. The school remains a key player in French education, as evidenced by its role at the 2024 Olympic Games (Volunteer Command Centre).

Future

Saint-Louis High School is the only public French high school dedicated exclusively to preparatory classes for large schools.

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