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Origin and history

The hospital-hospice of Saulieu was built in the 18th century to replace the old house-God Our Lady, deemed unhealthy because the sick died there more than they did there. Decided in 1734, its construction was entrusted in 1745 to the architects Michel-Ange Caristie and his son Jean-Antoine, according to a quote dated November 7, 1745. Completed in 1748, the initial building included an 8-bed room for men, a central chapel, and service rooms (apothecary, dining room, kitchen). His L-plan became a T-plan after the addition, between 1775 and 1781, of a north wing reserved for women, bringing the capacity to 16 beds.

The settlement experienced temporary closures, as between 1795 and 1799, and continuous expansions in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1874, a rectangular building was erected for the old, with the date engraved on its entrance. Other notable developments included the reconstruction of the bell tower in 1852, the addition of a veranda in 1897, and the installation of central heating in 1911. The site also preserves a tower called Poilbourg, dating from the 15th or 16th century, vestige of the old enclosure. The facades, roofs, entrance gate and chapel have been protected since 1984.

The history of the hospital reflects the evolution of care and hospital architecture in Burgundy. Initially modest (16 beds in 1776), he adapted to the growing needs, reaching 22 beds in 1879. The architects Caristie, then Bullier (19th century) and Moreau (19th century), left their mark. The successive reshuffles—washing, bath-rooms, and the alienated room—exemplify medical and social progress, while the chapel, a symbolic heart, remains a witness to the religious dimension of the old regime's hospices.

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