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Origin and history

The Hotel-Dieu in Reims was founded in the sixth century with the establishment of the bishopric, to welcome travelers, the poor and the sick. In the 12th century, it was led by the Cathedral Chapter, which delegated religious to it and then exclusively Augustine nuns. Bishop Hincmar gave the establishment of two large rooms for the sick, structuring his charitable organization.

In the 14th century, the Hôtel-Dieu had two separate quarters: that of men (7 rooms, 148 beds) and that of women (6 rooms, 140 beds), plus a crèche for abandoned children. In 1750 his staff included 27 nuns, 2 doctors, a surgeon, and 40 servants or workers. His income reached 175,000 pounds in 1789, and he owned a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas.

In the 19th century, in the face of the inadaptation of the premises, the Hôtel-Dieu was moved to the former Jesuit college (1826), then the Abbey of Saint-Remi. In 1839, the medieval building, partially preserved (low rooms of the 12th century classified in 1930), was razed to build the present courthouse. Only an underground room, similar to the Palais du Tau, remains.

The new building, designed by architects Auguste Caristie and Narcisse Brunette (neo-Greek facade and Louis XV elements), incorporated Gothic remains. A bas-relief of Riondet and De Maghellen (1846) adorns the pediment, symbolizing Justice, while a statue of Jean-Baptiste Farochon (1852), L-Integrity, decorates the portico. The furniture and art works of the Hotel-Dieu are now scattered between the Reims Museum and the modern hospital.

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