Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sainte-Anne Hospital was founded in the 13th century when Marguerite de Provence, the widow of Louis IX, founded a house for the pestifers. In the 17th century, Anne of Austria transferred this establishment on the way to Gentilly, creating St. Anne's Hospital by letters patent in 1651. Initially underused, the site became a farm where the alienated people of Bicêtre worked, before being rebuilt in 1788 by Bernard Poyet.

In 1863 Napoleon III ordered the creation of a modern clinical asylum on the site, entrusted to architect Charles-Auguste Questel. Inaugurated in 1867, the hospital adopted a symmetrical plan with pavilions connected by galleries, therapeutic gardens and a chapel. Inspired by the principles of hygienism, he integrates workshops for patients and green spaces, becoming a model for French asylums. During the siege of Paris (1870-71), 473 patients died of undernourishment.

In the 20th century, Sainte-Anne established himself as a major pole in psychiatry and neuroscience. In 1922, Édouard Toulouse founded the Henri-Rousselle Hospital, the first open service for light psychopaths. In 1952, Jean Delay and Pierre Deniker discovered the neuroleptic properties of chlorpromazine (Largactil), revolutionizing psychopharmacology. The institution also develops 24/7 psychiatric emergencies (CPOA) and addictology units.

The hospital now houses the Museum of Art and History of the Sainte-Anne Hospital (MAHHSA), the first hospital museum labeled Museum of France, with 1,800 works by artists-patients. Its garden with statues (including Victorien Tournier's Le Guet) and its Henri-Ey library (30 000 books) make it a unique place. Since 2019, he has joined the GHU Paris psychiatry & neurosciences, alongside Maison Blanche and Perray-Vaucluse hospitals.

Partially listed at the Historical Monuments in 1979 for its facades and roofs (works of Questel), the hospital remains a symbol of the evolution of psychiatric care, mixing architectural heritage and medical advances. Its Raymond Garcin centre brings together neurology, neurosurgery and neuroradiology, while its audiovisual archives (since 1995) document its history.

External links