St Cyr

St Cyr, a village of France, dept. Seine-et-Oise, about 2 miles by rail W. of Versailles. It owes its origin to an educational institution for poor girls of good birth, founded by Louis XIV., at the suggestion of Madame de Maintenon. It was for its 250 pupils that Racine wrote his tragedies of Esther and Athalie. Madame de Maintenon died here, and was buried in the choir of the church. The institution was suppressed at the Revolution; and in 1806 the buildings were converted by Napoleon into a military school, which still exists. Pop. 3296.