Historical Monument 2024 (≈ 2024)
Registration by order of 5 September 2024.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Montperrin psychiatric hospital, consisting of the following parts as delimited according to the plan annexed to the decree, on the plot shown in the cadastre section CH 69: from north to south: the entrance gate of the former hospital; the façades and roofs of the concierge; The old driveway leading to the hospital; the promontory of Mont Perrin with its aisles, its plantations, its lawn, the bust of Doctor Pontier and its base; the following buildings in total: the house of the director known as "Le Château" including his laundry with ember wash; The former Chief Medical Officer's Pavilion; the facades and roofs of the collective buildings: the administration building; the kitchen; The old bath building (now the documentation centre): the historical facades and roofs, including covered galleries, of the Clerambault pavilions; Duchêne; Pontiff; Delay as well as the respective enclosed courtyards and gardens of walls; historical facades and roofs, including covered galleries, Laforgue pavilions, Lotus (today Le Self); Guiraud; Esquirol (today's Foyer of Sociotherapy) as well as their respective courtyards and walled gardens; the Pinel and Tamaris pavilions (now 3 bis F); the entire chapel; the soil of the perimeter delimited with all the aisles planted; the beds; walled gardens; walls of enclosure and support; the fountains of the perimeter: inscription by decree of 5 September 2024
Key figures
Docteur Pontier - Local medical figure
Bust present on the promontory.
Origin and history
The Montperrin Hospital, located in Aix-en-Provence in Bouches-du-Rhône, is a psychiatric institution whose buildings and park were partially classified as Historic Monuments in 2024. The protection order covers a remarkable architectural and landscape ensemble, including pavilions dedicated to care, structured green spaces, as well as symbolic elements such as the bust of Doctor Pontier. This site illustrates the evolution of medical practices and the emphasis placed on the therapeutic environment in psychiatric hospitals of the 20th century.
The protected elements include facades and roofs of emblematic buildings such as the director's house (called "Le Château"), the Clerambault pavilions, Duchêne, or the chapel. The promontory of Montperrin, with its planted alleys, enclosed gardens and fountains, forms a coherent landscape, reflecting a holistic conception of care. The entrance gate, the old driveway leading to the hospital, and the enclosure walls highlight the historical isolation of these establishments, while integrating sociability spaces such as courtyards and covered galleries.
The listing of Historic Monuments in September 2024 recognizes the heritage value of this site, both for its architecture and its role in the history of psychiatry in France. Owned by a public hospital, Montperrin remains an active place, although its access to the public is restricted. The pavilions, renowned over time (as Lotus became Le Self), testify to functional adaptations while preserving their heritage. The bust of Dr Pontier, a local figure, recalls the institution's historical anchor in the Aix landscape.
The location of the site, between the official address (109 avenue du Petit Barthélémy) and GPS coordinates (17 Avenue Louis Coirard), reveals the urban evolutions of Aix-en-Provence. The cadastre clearly identifies the parcel (section CH 69), confirming its territorial anchoring since its creation. The retaining walls, fountains and beds complete a complex where nature and built dialogue, characteristic of the large psychiatric hospitals built on the outskirts of the cities in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Montperrin Hospital is part of a regional dynamic of preserving hospital heritage, often unknown despite its social and architectural importance. In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, where cultural tourism focuses on ancient or medieval monuments, this site offers a modern counterpoint, linked to medical history and public health policies. Its recent ranking invites us to reconsider the place of these places in collective memory.
