Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Ribeauvillé hospital, located at 41 Grand-Rue, includes a chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine, quoted from 1342. The building, enlarged in 1542, features a late Gothic choir with ribbed vaults and stained glass windows of the Ribeaupierre, a local family. The nave, older, probably dates from the 15th century, while the sacristy, adjacent to the south wall, could go back to 1688. Transformed into a wheat hall in 1812, the chapel was restored in 1898, with the addition of a neo-Gothic porch and a small historical museum in 1909.

Ranked a historic monument in 1898, the chapel is distinguished by its hexagonal campanile, its Gothic-filled windows, and a key vault with the Ribeaupierre weapons. Inside, the ceiling nave contrasts with the vaulted choir, decorated with wall paintings and a sandstone sink. Space, used as a museum until 1957, housed local collections (arms, wine tools) before being emptied. Its architecture thus combines medieval heritage and modern adaptations.

The hospital, originally linked to medieval charity, illustrates the evolution of care and community life in Alsace. Its history reflects the social needs, from the hospices of the Middle Ages to the urban transformations of the 19th century. The chapel, the spiritual heart of the ensemble, also bears witness to the artistic influences of the Ribeaupierre, local lords, through its heraldic decorations and its late Gothic style.

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