Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne Hospital is a former hospital that dates back to at least the 13th century, although its current buildings were rebuilt in the 18th century. Located in the department of Ain, it integrates into the medieval urban fabric of the city, with a sober brick architecture and a chapel built in a tower of the old ramparts. Apothecary, made in 1814, and the rooms of patients, separated by wrought iron grilles, testify to its historical hospital use. The site has been partially classified as historical monuments since 1982.

The reconstruction of the Hospice began in 1727, replacing an older building mentioned in 1372, thanks in particular to a gift from the Duke of Orleans, who gave up part of the ramparts and a tower for the west facade. In 1778, a second sick room was added north of the chapel, symmetrical to the first. In the 19th century, the apothecary is entirely furnished, keeping today 120 pots in the earthenware of Meillonnas and woodwork of the period. The site also houses a 16th century classified triptych, Lamentation (1527), in the ancient tisanerie.

Disused of its hospital function, the Hospice has been hosting since 1996 part of the Museum Traditions et Vie, installed in the former buildings of the Ursulines convent, and then transferred to the Hôtel-Dieu in 2021. Protected elements include facades, wrought iron stairs, chapel, sick rooms and apothecary with pot cabinets. The northern extension, built in the 20th century, replaced the old chapel of the Penitents, destroyed in 1900.

The architecture, in a U-shaped plan with an inner courtyard, reflects a functional sobriety. The central chapel, separated from the rooms by open gates, illustrates the integration of the religious into the care. The square buildings housed services and housing, while the northwest extension (1907) hosted maternity and hospice. A communal property, the site combines medical, religious and museum heritage, offering a rare testimony of the French rural hospices.

Among the remarkable elements, intact apothecary preserves its original furniture, while the workpiece of the sisters exhibits traditional costumes. The triptych of 1527, classified as a historical monument, and the faiences of Meillonnas highlight the artistic richness of the site. The facades, roofs and stairs, classified in 1982, protect this architectural and historical heritage, now open to the public within the framework of the museum.

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