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Origin and history

The Hotel-Dieu de Vire is a hospital building located in the city of Vire, in the Calvados department in Normandy. Built between the 17th and 19th centuries, it embodies the evolution of care and charity structures over several periods, with architectural changes marked over the centuries. Its facades and roofs, inscribed in the Historical Monuments by decree of 13 February 1975, reflect a preserved heritage, characteristic of the charitable establishments of the Ancien Régime and of the modern era.

The location of the Hôtel-Dieu, in 4 Place Sainte-Anne and close to the Square du Chanoine Jean Heroult, highlights its anchoring in the urban fabric of Vire. The building, owned by the commune, was partly shaped by Jean-Baptiste Flotard, the master workman mentioned in the archives. Although the sources do not specify the details of its daily operation, this type of establishment played a central role in French cities: welcoming the sick, the poor and the travellers, while serving as a place of prayer and community solidarity.

Construction periods range from the 17th century to the first half of the 18th century, with additions to the 19th century, illustrating successive adaptations to health and social needs. The accuracy of its location, assessed as "a priori satisfactory" (note 6/10), and the data available via the Merimée or Monumentum database, confirm its heritage importance. Today, the Hôtel-Dieu de Vire remains an architectural testimony of past medical and charitable practices, in an area marked by its Norman history.

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