History

The École nationale supérieure d’art et design de Dijon is the oldest of the seven national schools located outside Paris.

From the School of Drawing to the National School of Fine Arts of Dijon

In 1765, the first attempt to create a School of Drawing was made by François Devosge, a painter from Gray, in his small apartment on Rue du Chanoine, now known as Rue Jeannin in Dijon. This first school of drawing began as weekly sessions where artists gathered “to provide models and improve their drawing studies.”

In 1766, the School of Drawing, which was free and open to all, had 80 students attending classes in a rented room. This small, dynamic institution attracted the attention of local officials, who approved the project led by François Devosge. The School of Fine Arts of Dijon officially opened its doors on December 22, 1766.

By 1768, the school had 164 students divided into six different classes: drawing from nature, sculpture, drawing or modeling from relief, ornamental sculpture, figure drawing, and ornamental drawing.

On May 1, 1802, the school became the National School of Fine Arts, classified among the special State schools of drawing arts. At that time, the school had 177 students but only two professors: François Devosge and his son Anatole. François Devosge directed the school until his death in 1811.

The Former Saint-Bénigne Abbey Palace

The current site of the École nationale supérieure d’art et design and Saint-Bénigne Cathedral of Dijon are located within the former Benedictine abbey founded in the 9th century. Built around the year 1000 under the leadership of the monk William of Volpiano, the Romanesque Saint-Bénigne church was connected to a three-level rotunda dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Although the church was entirely rebuilt in the 13th century, the rotunda survived until the Revolution, when it was demolished due to its poor condition. In the 19th century, the lower level was rediscovered and restored during the construction of the sacristy by architect Jean-Philippe Suisse. The remains of the rotunda, accessible from inside the cathedral, are preserved under the courtyard of the École nationale supérieure d’art and under the sacristy.

In 1910, following the law separating Church and State, the use of the former Saint-Bénigne abbey palace was taken from the clergy and assigned to the Department of Public Instruction. In 1920, the National School of Fine Arts, previously located in the Palace of the States, was transferred there. This building, partially dating from the 18th century, was originally built to house the monks of the Saint-Bénigne Abbey.

It was classified as a historical monument on January 8, 1996. Its garden, adjacent to the former Benedictine dormitory, was also classified as a historical monument on February 2, 1924.