1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/St Cyr-l'École

ST CYR-L'ÉCOLE, a town of northern France in the department of Seine-et-Oise, 3 m. W. of Versailles at the end of the old park of Louis XIV. Pop. (1906) 2696. Its importance is due to the famous military school (école spéciale militaire) in which officers for the cavalry and infantry are trained. It was established in 1808 in the convent which Madame de Maintenon founded for the education of noble young ladies in poor circumstances. Racine's Esther and Alhalie were first acted here having been written expressly for the pupils. Madame de Maintenon's tomb is still preserved in the chapel. The convent was suppressed at the Revolution, and the gardens are now partly transformed into parade-grounds.