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Origin and history

The hospital Saint-Sauveur de Moutiers-Saint-Jean was founded at the end of the seventeenth century by Claude Charles de Rochechouart de Chandenier, abbot of the local abbey and close to Saint Vincent de Paul. The original project, approved by Louis XIV in 1681, was intended to replace an insufficient house of Charity. In 1689, the abbot acquired land facing the abbey to build a functional hospital, including a large room divided for the sick of both sexes, a chapel, and service spaces such as apothecary. The woodwork and tin pots of the pharmacy, as well as the facade of the chapel (1680), still remain today.

In the 18th century, the hospital extended with the addition of a barn (1724), pavilions for the sick (1732), and an entrance gate (1733). The Sisters of Charity of Saint Lazare, who arrived in 1707, run the establishment and teach the poor young girls. Major renovations took place in the 19th and 20th centuries: the men's hall became a chapel in 1843, a school and a bakery were built (1834-1838), and sanitary facilities were made, such as the suppression of the cemetery in 1860. The hospital, transformed into a retirement home in the 20th century, saw its buildings renovated in the 1970s-1980s.

The hospital's architecture reflects its evolution: a long central building flanked by narrow courtyards, an alley of lime trees leading to an oratory, and outbuildings such as a washhouse, barn and press. The chapel, pharmacy (with its historical collections) and portal of 1771 have been protected since 1995. The establishment, run by an association, embodies the charitable and medical heritage of the 17th and 18th centuries, marked by the influence of Saint Vincent de Paul and religious congregations.

The foundation of the hospital is part of a context of hospital reform in France, where abbots and religious orders play a key role in creating institutions for the poor and the sick. The choice of Moutiers-Saint-Jean, a Burgundy village under monastic influence, illustrates this dynamic. The letters patent of Louis XIV (1681) and the commitment of the Daughters of Charity underline the importance attached to organized charity, combining medical care and education.

Subsequent transformations, such as the enlargement of the men's room in 1889 or the aborted projects of operating room in 1914, reveal the hospital's adaptation to health and social standards. Its decline as a medical institution in the 20th century, replaced by a retirement home, reflects changes in health systems. Today, the site retains major heritage elements, witnesses to four centuries of hospital and religious history.

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