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Origin and history

The Hôtel-Dieu de Montbazon was founded in the early 1470s by Françoise de La Rochefoucauld, member of the Third Franciscan Order, to complete an existing chaplaincy already in ruins. Located along the Spanish road, it served as a stage for pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela. This place, located on a busy itinerary, played a key role in welcoming travellers and patients.

In 1698, the establishment was attached to the Hôtel-Dieu de Tours, losing part of its autonomy. After the French Revolution in 1799, the buildings were decommissioned and turned into tannery. In the 21st century, there is only the chapel, formerly dedicated to Saint Blaise, whose nave has been converted into a dwelling and the choir into a shed.

The chapel, the only vestige of the Hôtel-Dieu, presents a simple architecture with a nave without collaterals and a flat bedside. Its facades and interior, inscribed in historical monuments in 1981, preserve flamboyant Gothic elements, such as the fillings of a bay. A bas-relief representing two angels holding the coat of arms of the families of La Rochefoucauld and Estouteville decorates the facade, recalling the noble origin of its foundation.

The other buildings of the Hôtel-Dieu extended west of the chapel along the current Emmanuel-Brault Street. A carved head, perhaps from a cornice of the building, was found nearby. The ship frame of the main vessel is considered to be authentic, reflecting the construction techniques of the time.

The Hôtel-Dieu illustrates the importance of medieval hospitals on pilgrimage routes. Its decommissioning after the Revolution reflects the social and religious upheavals of this period, while the partial preservation of its chapel allows to study the architecture and local history of the 15th century.

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