Institution des Chartreux is a private Catholic school group under contract with the State. It brings together eight establishments in Lyon, Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or, Champagne-au-Mont-d'Or, Caluire-et-Cuire, and Saint-Étienne, and covers educational levels from kindergarten to post-baccalaureate classes. The group employs approximately 40 teachers, along with additional staff for supervision and services.
Its main site is located on the Croix-Rousse hill in Lyon, on the former grounds of the Chartreuse du Lys-Saint-Esprit monastery, founded in 1584. The monastery occupied a large area extending toward the Saône River and the slope facing Fourvière. After the Revolution in 1790, the property was sold in lots as national property. Several buildings with architectural value remained, including Saint-Bruno church and the Chartreuse hostel. The site also includes a chapel designed in neo-Gothic style by Antoine Desjardins, and many of the buildings date from the 17th century. The large building retains much of its original Baroque appearance. Elevated above the city, the site offers a commanding view of Lyon and is part of the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse, classified as UNESCO World Heritage.
Nearby Objects
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Church of Saint-Bruno des Chartreux 70 m away -
Fort Saint-Jean 500 m away -
Les Subsistances 500 m away -
Château de Pierre Scize 500 m away -
Église Saint-Augustin 550 m away
Institution des Chartreux
The Institution des Chartreux is a private Catholic school group operating under contract with the State. It includes eight establishments located in Lyon, Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or, Champagne-au-Mont-d'Or, Caluire-et-Cuire, and Saint-Etienne. The group provides education from kindergarten to post-baccalaureate classes. Its staff includes approximately 40 teachers, along with additional personnel responsible for supervision and services.
From Monastery to Educational Institution
The Institution des Chartreux is located on the Croix-Rousse hill in the commune of Lyon, on a site that was originally occupied by the Chartreuse du Lys-Saint-Esprit monastery founded in 1584. The monastic domain extended from the plateau to the Saone River and covered the entire slope facing Fourviere. Its southward orientation made it suitable for vine cultivation, which provided resources for the Carthusian monks who lived there until the Revolution in 1790. The monks also left several architecturally valuable buildings, including Saint-Bruno church and the Chartreuse hostel. After the Revolution, the property was sold in lots as Bien National in 1790.
The domain later passed to Cardinal Fesch, uncle of Napoleon and archbishop of Lyon, who installed the Pratres de Saint Irenee in 1816. This community had missionary and educational tasks. In 1825, Abbe Pousset founded the classical course of Jesus adolescent, which later evolved into the Institution des Chartreux. The chapel of the Institution was consecrated after four years of construction and was designed in neo-Gothic style by Antoine Desjardins, diocesan architect of Lyon. Desjardins drew inspiration from Felix Duban's work on Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
Several buildings at the lycee date from the 17th century, and the large building retains much of its original Baroque appearance. From its elevated position, the site offers a commanding view of Lyon. The Institution des Chartreux is part of the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse and is classified as UNESCO World Heritage.
Expansion of the Chartreux Group
In 1922, former students of Chartreux formed a real estate company and bought the Saint-Just site, marking an important step in the institution's later development. The Chartreux group then expanded through a series of school additions over the following decades. Sainte-Famille school in Saint-Etienne joined in 2001, followed by Saint-Romain and Saint-Charles schools in 2008. Saint-Irenee boarding school became part of the group in 2011, and Sainte-Blandine school joined in 2012. In 2013, Paul Couturier boarding school was constructed. The most recent addition listed is Saint-Joseph school, which joined the Chartreux group in 2018. These changes show the gradual growth of the institution as a broader educational group over time.
The 2020 Fire and East Wing Recovery
In November 2020, the Chartreux lycee at Croix-Rousse suffered a major fire in its east wing. About 80 firefighters responded, and firefighting was made more difficult by the building's 200-year age. The fire caused no human casualties, but the east wing was partially destroyed for student safety. That part of the building had contained offices, classrooms, and dormitories for approximately 150 people. The fire was extinguished one week after it began. In response, the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region allocated 3 million euros in emergency funds for recovery, and the institution's superior, Father Jean-Bernard Plessy, announced plans to rebuild the east wing identically.
School Rankings
The Institution des Chartreux has been assessed in several school rankings published by French education media. Le Figaro places the lycée in the academy of Lyon and gives it a departmental rank of 63. It also reports a national rank and notes a separate national position for mentions obtained at the baccalaureate. L'Etudiant also ranks the institution within the academy of Lyon. L'Express gives the lycée a departmental rank of 67 and includes it in its national ranking.
These evaluations are based on different criteria. According to L'Express, the ranking takes into account the baccalaureate pass rate, the proportion of first-year students obtaining the baccalaureate after two years in the institution, and value added calculated from students' social origin, age, and brevet diploma results. Together, these rankings present the institution as a regularly evaluated secondary school within the Lyon academic area and at the national level.
Controversies and Investigations
The Institution des Chartreux faced opposition from part of its teaching staff in 2001 over the reception of a priest convicted for anti-IVG positions. It was also involved in scandals related to sexual abuse cases affecting the Diocese of Lyon. These controversies revealed a series of old, often time barred facts connected to the abuse scandals. In 2022, the institution was affected by the opening of an investigation concerning Father Babolat, a former superior of the Chartreux institution who died in 2006.