Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The General Hospital of Sarlat-la-Canéda, originally a Hôtel-Dieu, was built in 1632 by Jean de Bars, great archdeacon, on the site of an old mill belonging to an abbey. This building, designed to accommodate the sick, operated until the French Revolution, during which time it was converted into a public bath. Originally, its structure was connected to other buildings on its southern façade, but the piercing of the streets in 1836 isolated the building, forming an autonomous island.

The architecture of the Hôtel-Dieu is distinguished by its two floors on ground floor, organized around a rectangular inner courtyard closed by a wrought iron gate. The east facade, with an entrance framed by pilasters with capitals, has a low arch surmounted by an empty table, probably for an inscription or a pattern. A four-in-one skunk and a statue niche under a shell dais adorn the angles. The ground floor, fully vaulted, is rhythmic with low arches, while the wrought iron staircase and vaulted rooms have been protected since 1977.

Ranked a Historic Monument, the building illustrates the evolution of hospital and urban uses: first place of care, it became a public space before being preserved for its architectural heritage. Its current location, between Rue du Mining, Rue Alberic-Cahuet and Rue des Mazels, reflects the transformation of the urban fabric of Sarlat-la-Canéda. Legal protections cover facades, roofs, stairs and vaulted rooms, highlighting their historical and aesthetic value.

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