A visit to the Lycée Montesquieu
By Susana V. García -CONICET-Museo de La Plata, Argentina
A new European Heritage Days was held in Le Mans on the weekend of 16 and 17 September 2023. This cultural event offers the opportunity to visit museums, ancient churches, public buildings, monuments and other elements and sites of historical interest. Several public and private buildings open their doors to the public just for this occasion. Since 1995, one or more national themes have brought together local initiatives and highlighted a particular aspect of French heritage. This 40th edition was dedicated to “living heritage” and “sport heritage”. At Le Mans, the latter joined the exhibitions for the centenary of the prestigious car racing event known as the “24 Hours of Le Mans” or Grand Prix of Speed and Endurance, which has been run annually since 1923 at the Sarthe road-racing circuit, near Le Mans. This locality had early automobile factories.
The Heritage Days included activities for different audiences, with guided tours, conferences, restoration workshops and other participatory activities. The city of Le Mans offers a rich historical heritage that could be enjoyed thanks to the friendliness of the guides and the explanatory brochures that were handed out free of charge. A printed guidebook, accessible online, detailed all the activities, sites and opening hours, with a map that allowed a “treasure hunt”, as not all the places were easily found on Google map.
33 places could be visited: The Roman baths, medieval churches, ancient mansions, museums, the libraries, archives and other departmental institutions, the so-called House of Water and the Lycée Montesquieu, among others. I chose to begin my heritage tour with the latter, which currently houses a secondary school and preparatory classes. Part of its building dates back to the 17th century when it was a seminary school, with 900 male students under the management of the Oratorian order, a Catholic apostolic society founded in Rome. After the Revolution, it became secular, but with problems for its financing by the municipality, and in 1850 it became a national college, with more resources.
The college has been extended and added to in each century, showcasing the different styles applied to school architecture. Its original 17th century building has been used to film scenes for several movies, such as Cyrano de Bergerac with Gérard Depardieu, and recently Les chèvres by Dany Boon, which will be out next year.
Lycée Montesquieu Part of the 17th and 18th century buildings

Plan of the College in 1923, with the years of the different constructions.

Front and altar of the College’s chapel

The old school chapel, built between 1675 and 1683, is an example of religious architecture from the end of the 17th century, with the woodwork of the high altar baldachin standing out. The beautiful woodwork of the high altar baldachin is particularly noteworthy. In 1982 it was declared a historical monument and in 1991 it fell into disuse and underwent restoration. Currently it can only be visited during concerts and Heritage Days. During this year’s Heritage Days, guided tours and talks were given by the school’s Alumni Association. Among the visitors were former students and neighbours who, thanks to this event, were able to revisit the building and hear about its history. There were also parents with children who were planning for them to study there. While those of us who came from outside listened attentively to the vicissitudes of this old institution, a reflection of different moments in French educational history.
Part of the old instruments on display: Ramsden’s electrostatic machine (1766), restored in 1999.

OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
alexiacomte (September 21, 2023). The European Heritage Days in Le Mans, France. SciCoMove — Scientific Collections on the Move. Retrieved April 28, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/twuv