The Saint George Gymnasium No. 1 (Școala Gimnazială Nr. 1 „Sfântul Gheorghe”) is a public primary and lower secondary school housed in a historic building beside the Saint George’s Church in Giurgiu. The school was founded in 1861 as one of the city’s early institutions for girls’ education, although its present building dates from 1890.
Initially accommodating 56 girls between the ages of six and eleven, the school operated from rented houses and later from properties made available by local benefactors. In 1890, during the administration of Mayor Anghel Ulubeanu, it finally received a purpose-built building costing approximately 90,000 lei. The new premises contained classrooms and accommodation for the headteacher, providing the school with a permanent home after nearly three decades of temporary arrangements.
Following educational reforms in 1948, the institution became a seven-year girls’ school, before admitting both girls and boys from 1956. The growing number of pupils led to modifications of the original building in the early 1960s, followed by the construction of an additional school wing between 1969 and 1971. The historic structure also underwent reinforcement after the 1977 earthquake.
In 1994, the school adopted the name Saint George, reflecting its location beside the church and square of the same name. It operates as a gymnasium providing primary and lower secondary education, with the original late-19th-century building forming part of the larger school complex.
