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Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel-Dieu de Laon, founded around 1167 by the cathedral chapter, is the first of the three successive hospitals in the city. Located south of the cathedral square, its medieval architecture is organized on four levels: a cellar, a semi-entered ground floor for the reception of travellers, and a floor dedicated to care, served by the doctors of the school of Laon. The building, classified as a historical monument in 1928 and 1942, illustrates the medieval charitable organization, combining medical and religious functions.

In 1209, the canons acquired a house opposite the episcopal palace to transfer the Hotel-Dieu, too small. After land difficulties, the new building was erected in 1273. In the 17th century, important works modernized the whole: the large hall of the sick is equipped with a new structure (ca. 1670-1677), and the chapel was remodeled in 1683. The door to the Place Aubry, executed in 1677 by master mason Jean Hottin, marks this period of renovation.

After the hospital was transferred to the former Saint Martin Abbey, the buildings successively housed a communal school (1813-1880) and military premises. Damaged during World War I, the building saw its large sick room destroyed in 1929 to give way to a covered market. Today, only 17th century facades (classified in 1928) and the western wing of the convent remain, integrated into the House of Arts and Recreation.

The Hotel-Dieu embodies the evolution of hospital practices, medieval origins — where body care and spirituality were linked — to modern adaptations. The excavations and studies, such as those of Alain Saint-Denis, underline his role in medicine and society of the 12th to 13th centuries, notably through the archives of the school of Laon and the registers of donations to the sick.

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