Early Modern · Architecture

Saint-Marc Lycée

Lyon

Saint-Marc Lycée is a private French secondary and higher education institution located at 10, rue Sainte-Hélène in Lyon’s second arrondissement, in the Ainay district. It belongs to the Centre Saint-Marc and operates under Jesuit supervision as a private Catholic institution under a contract of association with the State. The school traces its history to a Jesuit community installed on rue Sala in 1864. The community later acquired land near rue Sainte-Hélène to build a residence, a chapel, and social works, and seven years after 1864 obtained the right to create a college named Externat Saint-Joseph. After the Jules Ferry secular decrees of 1880, the community was banned from teaching but continued to teach secretly. At the beginning of the 20th century, Christian families bought the Sainte-Hélène buildings confiscated from the community to reopen the establishment. The school later became lycée Saint-Marc and opened to coeducation in 1971.

Map showing the location of Saint-Marc Lycée in Lyon
Location of Saint-Marc Lycée in Lyon

Nearby Objects

Location and Institutional Status

Saint-Marc Lycee is a private French secondary and higher education institution located at 10, rue Sainte-Helene in the Ainay district of Lyon, in the citys second arrondissement. It belongs to the Centre Saint-Marc and is under Jesuit supervision. The school is also a private Catholic institution operating under a contract of association with the State.

From Externat Saint-Joseph to Lyccee Saint-Marc

The site associated with Saint-Marc Lyccee began with a Jesuit community installed on rue Sala in the second arrondissement of Lyon in 1864. That same period saw the acquisition of land near rue Sainte-Helene for a residence, a chapel, and social works. Seven years after 1864, the community obtained the right to create a college named Externat Saint-Joseph. After the Jules Ferry secular decrees of 1880, it was banned from teaching, but it continued to teach courses secretly.

At the start of the 20th century, Christian families bought the Sainte-Helene buildings confiscated from the community and reopened the establishment. By 1920, the externat had 600 students from kindergarten to terminal classes. During the Second World War, the lycee was requisitioned by the Milice until the liberation of the city in 1944. It reopened in 1946 and had nearly 900 students in the late 1960s. The Externat Saint-Joseph later became Lyccee Saint-Marc and opened to coeducation in 1971.

Teaching Programs and Student Pathways

Saint-Marc Lycee hosts students preparing for the general baccalaureate as well as CPGE literary classes in Khagne B/L, under distant congregational supervision. In 2025, the school reported a 100 percent success rate at the Baccalaureate, with 92 percent of students graduating with honors. Its teaching structure includes several project classes in Seconde, such as Citoyens du monde, Estudios Hispanicos, Theatre et Arts de la Scane, and Solid'R, along with three classes in the European section.

The lycee also offers a range of optional subjects, including Chinese or Italian LV3, Latin, Greek, cinema audiovisual, theater, and Arts Plastiques for students in Premiere. Students may take part in P.A.S. Projet d'Actions de Solidarite and choose three specialties among the 11 to 13 offered. In Terminale, students must drop one specialty, but may continue with options such as Droit et Grand Enjeux du monde Contemporain, Mathematiques Expertes, and Mathematiques Complementaires.

Beyond the standard curriculum, Saint-Marc Lycee provides numerous international exchange programs, including individual and group mobilities. It also offers preparation modules such as Module Medecine, Module IEP, and a Module de preparation en Mathematiques aux Classes Preparatoires. Additional support includes Sessions in which Terminale students reflect on their life purpose outside the school, Disputatio practice linked to preparation for the Grand Oral exam, and a Microlycee program for students who have dropped out and wish to resume their studies.

Teacher Opposition at Lyccee Saint-Marc

According to Actualites, more than 80 percent of non-OGEC teachers at lycee Saint-Marc formed a collective opposing an economic dismissal. The reported dismissal concerns the head of etablissement, M. Eric Pireyre, and was decided by the Jesuit tutelage and the board of the Association Saint-Marc d'Education Chretienne. The measure is presented as being at odds with the largely surplus financial statements of centre Saint-Marc. These surpluses are reported to come mainly from the lycee itself, which makes the decision a point of dispute within the institution.

Former Students and Public Life

The former students of Saint-Marc Lycee, formerly known as externat Saint-Joseph, are noted for having distinguished themselves in several fields. They were active in local politics, and others gained recognition in the arts and in literature at the local level. In some cases, their distinctions extended to the national level. These references point to the school's role in forming individuals who later participated in public and cultural life.