Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former convent of the Recollets, founded in the early seventeenth century by the Recollet Minor Brothers, was authorized by Henry IV in 1604 on a land given by Jacques Cottard. Marie de Medici laid the first stone in 1614. The convent, with a well-known library, was closed in 1790, then transformed into a hospice in 1802, before becoming the Villemin military hospital in 1861, specialized in the care of soldiers.

In 1913, the hospital took the name of physician Jean-Antoine Villemin, a pioneer in demonstrating the contagion of tuberculosis. He was hit by a shell in 1918 and played a key role in both world wars and colonial conflicts. Closed in 1968 for old age, the site was squatted by artists in the 1990s before being rehabilitated in 2003 as a cultural centre and artistic residence.

The 18th-century buildings, partially classified in 1974, now house the Maison de l'architecture d'Ile-de-France, as well as associations and a centre for researchers and artists. The historic garden, separated from the convent, became the Villemin Garden. The monumental 18th century gate remains at 8 rue des Recollets.

The school of architecture Paris-Villemin was established there after 1968, before moving. A fire in 1992 ravaged part of the site, leading to a restoration that preserved the frescoes of squatter artists. The Régie immobilier de Paris (RIVP) now manages this heritage, a symbol of the conversion of historic sites into contemporary spaces.

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