Ursulines in Greece 

THE URSULINES AROUND THE WORLD
THE URSULINES IN GREECE

The Greek-French School Ursulines — now comprising a Kindergarten, Nursery, Primary School, Middle School, and High School for both boys and girls — takes pride in, and feels deeply responsible for, its three-hundred-year tradition in the education of Greek children.

The Cradle of the Ursulines in Greece: Naxos In 1630, the Jesuit monks, having already established a school for boys on the island, invited the Ursulines to create a school for girls. Thus, at the urging of the Jesuits and under the protection of France, the Ursulines founded their monastery in Naxos in 1670 and began their educational mission.

Since then, the Greek-French School Ursulines has operated regularly and continuously in:

in Naxos (1670-1970),

in Tinos (Loutra 1862-1984),

in Athens (1947 to date).

It was not only the first school for girls in Greece, but also the first in the entire Eastern Mediterranean — established during the years of Ottoman rule. In that period of hardship, fear, and humiliation for the islanders, when pirates ravaged the Aegean, the decision to provide education — especially to girls, who had neither opportunity nor right of access to learning — was not only important but truly pioneering.

The teaching of foreign languages (English, German, Italian, and above all French), music, painting, and of course Greek was an innovative act during the years of occupation and in the early decades of the free Greek state.

During the 19th century, the School gradually evolved into a “Greek-French” institution — the first of its kind in Greece — dedicated to the teaching of the French language and culture. It retains this character to this day, reflected in the consistently high achievements of its students in French.

In the 21st century, while continuing to cultivate the spirit of love and solidarity, the School remains committed to offering its students an education of excellence that meets the demands of modern times

Its graduates continue to distinguish themselves at universities and in scientific, artistic, literary, and social fields alike.

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