Lycée Henri-IV

The Lycée Henri-IV is a public secondary and higher education establishment, located at 23, rue Clovis in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, in the Latin Quarter. It welcomes more than 2,600 students, from middle school to preparatory classes. The lycée is renowned for its excellent results in the baccalaureate, the general competition and the entrance exams to the grandes écoles, and more specifically for the literary competitions (École normale supérieure de Paris, Lyon and Paris-Saclay, École nationale des chartes). He is known for his elitism and for having trained many French intellectuals, politicians, scientists and personalities. It is also classified as a historical monument for some of its buildings inherited from the former Sainte-Geneviève abbey, which date from the 12th to the 18th century: cloister, Clovis tower (former bell tower), chapel (former refectory), Salle des Médailles (former cabinet of curiosities). Renovation work carried out around 1996 brought to light vestiges of the Carolingian period. In 1796 the buildings were used for public education. The Convention, by the law of October 25, 1795, decided the constitution of “Central Schools” throughout France. The first school of the three open in Paris was inaugurated on October 22, 1796 and took the name of École Centrale du Panthéon. The motto of the school, Domus Omnibus Una (“A house for all”), is that of the Augustinian monks, whose building was the seat.