Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel-Dieu de Saint-Riquier, mentioned since 1199, was founded by Adam La Broye, local priest. Originally run by religious and religious, it housed 18 beds for patients at the end of the seventeenth century, often shared by several patients. At the time of the Revolution, he became a civilian hospice, but the Augustine sisters provided care until 1963. The current buildings, built between 1688 and 1704, include a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas, erected from 1717 to 1719 and consecrated in 1720.

The chapel Saint-Nicolas is distinguished by its rock decoration, its wrought iron grilles attributed to Jean Veyren, and a master altar in gold wood made in 1753 by Pfaffenhoffen. The latter is decorated with statues (saint Nicholas, St Augustine) and bas-reliefs illustrating biblical scenes. A central picture by Joseph Francis Parrocel, Jesus healing paralytics, dominates the altarpiece. The cloister, made of brick and stone, houses an apothecary reconstituted with pharmacy pots and surgical instruments of the era, as well as an 18th century patient room.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1952, the ensemble illustrates the evolution of hospital care, mixing religious and medical heritage. The facades, roofs, and the chapel (inside and outside) are protected. The site also maintains collections of medical objects, testimonies of health practices of the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, there remains a rare example of preserved hospice, reflecting both Baroque architecture and the social history of Picardia.

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