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Key figures

Origin and history

The former Cambrai General Hospital was created in 1752 by letters patent to accommodate the needy. It was installed in 1754 in the old house of the poor of the Fish Market, then undergone several enlargements and modifications over the decades. This architectural ensemble reflects the typical rigour of the charitable establishments of the period, with facades of various compositions depending on the period of construction.

The large wing built in 1754, as well as that of 1786, illustrate the rise of hospital architecture during the second half of the 18th century. In 1910, the city put the hospital at the disposal of the army, which transformed it into barracks before the First World War. The entrance gate was moved to its current location, and a new guard corps was added. The facades, roofs, and some interior elements (such as the structure of the large north wing) have been protected since 2011.

Today, the former general hospital forms a coherent whole, a witness to the architectural and social changes associated with the care of vulnerable populations. Its history thus combines charity, military adaptations, and built heritage, in an urban context marked by the health and social needs of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

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