Grande Chancellerie de la Legion d'honneur

The United States is the foreign country with the most recipients of France’s highest honors . Over the past 80 years, 13,000 americans have been awarded the Legion of Honor or the National Order of Merit. Americans have forged a special relationship with the Grand Chancery over the centuries. Thomas Jefferson , then ambassador to Paris, was so captivated by the Hôtel de Salm (which later became the headquarters of our institution) that he used it as inspiration for his Monticello residence, and even the White House reflects some of its features. Precisely 100 years ago, Adolph B. de Bretteville-Spreckels replicated the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco to house the city’s Fine Arts Museum. And just a year later, thanks to the immense generosity of William Nelson Cromwell and his friends, the museum of Legion of honor and the orders of chivalry opened in Paris. The ‘Mémoire de l’honneur’ project aims to safeguard the unique archives belonging to the Grand Chancery of the Legion of Honor, and make them fully accessible to the public . These archives bear witness the names and achievements of two million people who served France and have been decorated since 1802, when the Legion of Honor was established, and since 1963, when the National Order of Merit was created. Through the “Mémoire de l’honneur” project, descendants of decorated individuals, historians, sociologists, genealogists, and others around the world will be able to learn about these exemplary lives . For this large-scale project, the institution has mobilized both its scientific and technical teams, as well as leading a sustained campaign to seek financial and skills-based philanthropy. Thanks to the generosity of many patrons, it has already begun developing a building dedicated to these archives , which opened its doors in Summer 2025. However, to successfully digitize these documents and create a public consultation platform , it needs additional support. By supporting “Mémoire de l’honneur” today, you will help continue this remarkable relationship , playing a vital role in sharing and preserving this shared history . Watch the project video

Designed and inaugurated in 1985 by internationally renowned architects Claude Costantini and Michel Régembal, the school building of the Maison d’Education of Saint-Denis lies just below the former royal abbey , which houses 500 boarders .  Forty years ago, these new spaces provided the Maison d’Education with functional and modern classrooms that complied with the French National Education standards.  The school building is designed around a central garden dedicated to relaxation and a glass-enclosed thoroughfare that connects three rotundas, one for each academic level. The classrooms have an amphitheater layout to encourage interaction between students and teachers. As boarders, the pupils spend most of the day in the classroom assigned to them for the whole year. It is used not only for class, but also for study periods and social time. After forty years of use, the condition of the school building no longer allows for optimal and comfortable use by pupils and teachers. It has significant environmental and functional weaknesses : outdated and energy-intensive technical installations, poor sound and heat insulation, insufficient spaces for students, studying and school staff, and no disabled access.  The renovation of the school building has several objectives :  Environmental : improving insulation, acoustics and energy efficiency, as well as reducing water consumption; Functional : improving ease of use, diversifying spaces for better learning conditions and optimizing flows; Architectural and landscaping : enhancing outdoor spaces and facilitating upkeep and maintenance, while respecting the original architecture of the building on a listed site. The renovation will help provide students with working and living spaces that allow them to continue achieving outstanding results. It will also enable the school to reduce its energy consumption and operating costs.