Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel-Dieu de Mâcon is a former hospital facility designed outside the city walls by Jacques-Germain Soufflot and his pupil Melchior Munet. Its construction, begun in 1761, revealed in 1764 the treasure of Mâcon, a collection of ancient objects. The building, inaugurated in 1770, extends over 5,700 m2 and combines functional architecture (nine sick rooms, chapel on the 1st floor) and an elliptical dome decorated with the names of the prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah and David. Its apothecary, with its Louis XV woodwork, houses a collection of earthenware.

Due to the slope of the land, the Hôtel-Dieu was built on two floors of basement, an elevated ground floor and a square floor, in ochre stone enhanced with white limestone. The patient rooms, 22 meters long, were organized in T around an oval central chapel, surmounted by a tower-lantern. The site also included buildings for staff, paying patients, and an isolated pavilion for infectious people. Originally located in Bourgneuf, the old, old hospital was replaced by this new building authorized by letters patent in 1757 and built between 1761 and 1789.

Ranked a historic monument on July 20, 1964 for its facade, dome and apothecary, the Hôtel-Dieu has evolved into a retirement home and health centre. Although the interior has been modified, its exterior, including the slate dome and symmetrical courtyards, remains preserved. The treasure discovered in 1764 and the architectural techniques (arest vaults, arcade galleries) testify to its heritage importance. Melchior Munet, master of the project, applied the plans of Soufflot, already at work at the Hôtel-Dieu in Lyon.

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