Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The asylum of the Good Saviour of Caen came into being in 1720 when Anne Le Roy founded the Daughters of the Good Saviour congregation, dedicated to welcoming marginalized women, including the alienated. Originally set up on Rue d'Auge, the community was recognized by Louis XV in 1734. After revolutionary disturbances, she established herself in 1805 in the former Capuchin convent in Saint-Ouen, under the impulse of Abbé Pierre-François Jamet, marking the beginning of her expansion as a psychiatric asylum.

In the 19th century, asylum developed rapidly: in 1818 it welcomed the first alienated men transferred from Beaulieu prison, and in 1838 it became a departmental asylum. The buildings are organized to separate patients according to their condition (payable, furious, epileptic), with dedicated gardens and galleries. In 1876, there were 1,060 patients, making the Good Savior the third psychiatric hospital in France. A school for the deaf-muets was also founded in 1816.

During the Second World War, the hospital was requisitioned by the Germans in 1942 to make it a Kriegslazarett (military hospital). In 1944, he served as refuge for 1,250 civilians during the Battle of Caen and was heavily bombed, killing 50. After the war, the institution became secularized gradually: in 1976, it became the specialized hospital centre (CHS) in Caen, then the public mental health institution (EPSM) in 2012. Major renovations are under way, such as the opening of the Odyssey (81 beds) in 2012.

The architectural heritage of the Good Saviour includes a 19th century neo-Gothic chapel, listed as historical monuments in 2006, and buildings in the men's quarter, protected since 2010. The chapel, disused since 1999, is the subject of tensions between the city of Caen and private actors for its reuse. In 2024, guided tours were organized for the first time. The old 18th century gate, dating back to 1834, still marks the historic entrance to the site.

The Congregation of the Daughters of the Good Saviour, founder of the asylum, swarmed in France and abroad (Ireland, Spain, Madagascar). Figures such as Anne Le Roy or Abbé Jamet (beacon in 1987) marked her story. Famous patients include the dandy George Brummell, who was interned in 1838, or Louis Martin, father of Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, hospitalized from 1889 to 1892. Today, Caen's EPSM remains a major player in mental health in Normandy, despite the challenges associated with its urban integration, such as the tram project crossing its enclosure.

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