Inside Switzerland’s LAST 

finishing school 

The Institut Villa Pierrefeu is the last finishing school left in Switzerland,

where women learn the perfect etiquette for every social situation.

Pictured are students tasting chocolate 

The grand villa where young women 

are taught perfect posture and the 

art of polite conversation 

• Women attend Institut Villa Pierrefeu to learn perfect 
• etiquette in every situation
• While princesses are among their students, they do not 
• make up the majority
• Half a century ago, thousands attended a plethora of 
• finishing schools in area 

Attending a finishing school used to be the norm for young
 women of a certain generation.

But now it has become much more of a rarity, with only a
 handful enrolling into such schools in the hope of 
mastering the social graces. 

The Institut Villa Pierrefeu is the last finishing school left in 
Switzerland, where women are taught the perfect posture
 and the art of polite conversation - as well as how not 
to slurp their soup.

Viviane Neri, who runs the school in Gilon, says that while
 princesses and the daughters of presidents are among 
their students, they do not make up the majority. 

Half a century ago, the students at Institut Villa Pierrefeu
 were among thousands attending a plethora of finishing 
schools dotting the hills around Lake Geneva. 

But today, Pierrefeu is the only one left, after the industry 
was decimated by the 1968 student revolution and the 
feminist movement.

Students are seen attending a lesson at the school, with
teachers on stand-by to teach them how to best eat their soup 

Viviane Neri, who runs the school in Gilon with her son Philippe
(pictured together), says that while princesses and the daughters
 of presidents are among their students, they do not make up the majority 

Women are seen learning how make polite conversation
 as they sit around a table 

A teacher directs one of the students how to lay the table immaculately (left).
 The women are also taught the correct way to hold their knife and fork

As the immaculately starched waiting staff serve the food,
teachers tell students how to avoid making a fatal faux pax 

One of the school's teachers is seen leaning over a student's
shoulder as she dishes out food from her plate 

Another teacher at the prestigious school explains to
students the intricacies of laying a table

A group of students laugh as they make polite small talk
 while sat around a table  

During one lesson, a teacher is seen teaching students all about china. The women are also taught how to cut up a cake correctly 

Half a century ago, the students at Institut Villa Pierrefeu were among thousands attending a plethora of finishing schools dotting the hills around Lake Geneva 

But today, Pierrefeu is the only one left, after the industry was decimated by the 1968 student revolution and the feminist movement