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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel-Dieu de Troyes, also called Hôtel-Dieu-le-Comte or Maison-Dieu-Saint-Étienne, was founded in the 12th century by the Count of Champagne Henri le Libéral. It was part of a palatial complex including the Comtal Palace and the Collège Saint-Étienne. Held by the order of Augustines, this institution initially welcomed pilgrims and women in childbirth, excluding incurable patients such as lepers or mutilates. It had its own property (moulins, tannery) and had been reporting directly to the King since 1284.

Over the centuries, the Hôtel-Dieu grew: in 1270 thanks to a gift from Renaud de Bar-le-Duc, then in 1482 and 1494, before a major reconstruction between 1701 and 1764 under the impulse of Bishop François Bouthillier and mayors Louis de Mauroy and Jacques Berthelin. The monumental wrought iron gate, the work of Pierre Delphin (3rd quarter of the 18th century), and the chapel (former Girouarde gate of via Agrippa) date from this period. The establishment operated as a hospital until 1988.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1889 (grill) and 1964 (façades, roofs), the site has since 1992 housed rooms of the University of Reims-Champagne-Ardenne and, since 2013, the City of stained glass, celebrating the stained glass heritage of the Aube. 18th century Apothecary, closed in 2018 for renovation, exhibits 16th century medical objects. The museum, founded in 1976, also includes the collection of Jean-Marie Denis.

The Hotel-Dieu illustrates the evolution of hospital care, moving from a medieval religious vocation (limited reception) to a gradual opening to all from the sixteenth century. Its U-shaped buildings, organized around a closed courtyard, reflect this story, combining hospital architecture, universal and heritage. Today, he embodies both a place of medical memory and a cultural center dedicated to stained glass.

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