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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2010 19:42:04 GMT
The other day while I was walking around, I crossed the Canal Saint Martin and approached a somewhat foreboding building which sort of reminded me of the evil looking Dakota in New York City (Of course you know that John Lennon was murdered on the steps of that building and that Rosemary's Baby was filmed there.). Part of the complex was an old chapel, unfortunately closed at the time I was there. On the side street was a former school, strangely operated by the Paris hospital authority. Now it is just a bunch of offices. And thus I entered the domain of the Hôpital Saint Louis, founded by King Henri IV in 1607. The architect was Claude Chastillon, who is also responsible for designing the Places des Vosges in Paris. The hospital was not in Paris at all, but built out in the countryside, where it was destined to receive plague victims. That's why it was not built inside the city but several kilometers away. Construction was completed in 1612. In those days, the word "plague" was used to refer to any epidemic, and the word "temporary" was not used the same as we tend to do now either. The first patients to arrive in 1616 kept the hospital open until 1636. They decided to keep it open non-stop in 1773 due to a major fire which destroyed a lot of the Hôtel Dieu hospital in central Paris right next to Notre Dame. Frankly, the whole idea of huge "temporary" hospitals that open and close over decades and even centuries sort of boggles my mind. Can you imagine what modern day taxpayers would have to say about such practices? But the Hôpital Saint Louis still with us and in service. (to be continued) |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2010 20:27:31 GMT
The inner courtyard is as lovely as you can imagine if you have ever seen the Place des Vosges (or even Jackson Square in New Orleans which was inspired by the Place des Vosges). When you exit the far side of the courtyard, you might be surprised at the contrast. The new hospital building awaits you. Frankly, I have some mixed feeling about this place, because it is the only hospital in the world where I have ever been hospitalized. I had to have my face put back together after a rather violent mugging in this beautiful safe city where I tell people not to worry about safety.  Let's go in for a little look anyway, even though I have not forgotten a single detail of what it looks like. Actually, I find that the the public ground level areas of most Parisian hospitals remind me of the ambience of train stations. The hospital is very proud of its history and is still celebrating its 400th anniversary. Going back outside, modern times and history mix together. I was intrigued by this little garden that I spotted next to one of the old outlying buildings. It is not a public area, so I did not have access to it. The back side of the complex is now the official main entrance, with ambulances lining up to enter most of the time. You would never guess from this view that a major part of Parisian history is hidden here. I would never say to make a special trip here, but if you are wandering around the area, you might think of taking a look. It is right next to the canal on one side and just a block from rue Sainte Marthe on the back side. |
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Post by myrt on Nov 11, 2010 20:52:20 GMT
What a lovely old place - beautiful courtyard too! I prefer it to the modern building although the stained glass panel is beautiful... I may be a philistine but so many modern building just look like airports to me - passing through places with very little charisma. I'm very happy to be proved wrong though..
I like the apparent relationship between the stained glass panel and the secret garden! Lovely...
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Nov 11, 2010 21:03:51 GMT
A very beautiful building, I quite like the modern bit, altho not as much as the older buildings...the window is quite breathtaking. I hope that the garden is for the benefit of the patients  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2010 21:09:30 GMT
If you're interested, you can spot the chapel on the left side of the old engraving, the former school is around the corner on the front, and of course in the front center, you can see the two entrance buildings through which I walked to get to the courtyard.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 12, 2010 6:54:06 GMT
This is so interesting. It took me a long time to get to the bottom, as I kept referring back to the engraving. Even though the gardens look ornamental in the plan, probably they were meant to provide food for the hospital. Really, the layout seems based on the same idea as medieval manors.
Is the modern building in one of the large, formerly open areas? It's amazing to see how much open area has been maintained.
I see most of the people in the waiting area and in the (airport-style!) shop are in coats. Is it chilly under that arched glass roof?
Did you read the panel about different uses for the hospital in the 18th century? I'm still marveling that such a huge complex has survived almost perfectly for four centuries.
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Post by bjd on Nov 12, 2010 7:29:41 GMT
How nice, Kerouac. I once saw that hospital when I was in the area but didn't think to go have a look. Will do so when I have the opportunity. Lots of other hospitals in Paris are in old buildings, of course. Our apartment is two small blocks over from the Hopital Saint Antoine, which is in former convent buildings. I just had a quick look on Google and found this pic of the facade  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2010 7:58:20 GMT
Even though the gardens look ornamental in the plan, probably they were meant to provide food for the hospital. Really, the layout seems based on the same idea as medieval manors.
Les premières périodes où l'hôpital a été en service furent :
1616 à 1636 sans discontinuer (épidémies) ;
1651, pendant la Fronde ;
1670 à 1671 (épidémie dite de scorbut) ;
1709 à 1710 (idem) ;
1729 à 1730 (idem) ;
de 1731 à 1740 : les locaux de l'hôpital servirent de grenier à blé ;
en 1749, on y enferme les mendiants et vagabonds de Paris ;
de 1754 à 1767 pour désengorger l'hôtel-Dieu de Paris en plein centre de Paris sur l'île de la Cité ;
à partir de 1773 suite à l'incendie de l'hôtel-Dieu. L'hôpital Saint-Louis ne fermera plus à partir de cette date, devenant un hôpital permanent.
In the 19th century it became specialized in dermatology, and its "museum" aparently has plaster casts of horrible skin diseases, which I'm sure must have been truly horrifying 150 years ago. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 12, 2010 8:06:17 GMT
Hey -- thanks so much for the detailed information.
Of course, a medicinal herb garden makes sense.
An epidemic of scurvy?! Maybe the crops failed that year.
1749 sounds like a song title for Edith Piaf.
The treatment of the skin diseases may have been as horrifying as the actual diseases.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 12, 2010 8:33:41 GMT
Great photos Kerouac - You certainly whet the appetite for explorations further afield than just the same old Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre and so on. The guide books do include the hospital in a 90minute walk along the Canal St-Martin ,which I did but left out the hospital. You certainly made it a thousand times more interesting with photos  |
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Post by mich64 on Nov 13, 2010 0:41:12 GMT
Thank you for the tour of this hospital and I enjoyed reading the comments. I too would think the garden is for herbal/medicinal or therapeutic use. It seems like a very peaceful place for a respite from illness. I always enjoy your choice of photo essay topics.
Our new hospital opens in February 2011. Currently the staff are being trained in the new building by games and contests that have made it fun for the staff to become acquainted with their new working surroundings. The lab staff are running tests in both hospitals to ensure the new equipment give the same results and all the patients are being moved over on the same day! There is actually a company that hires themselves out to new hospitals and are adept at the logistics of such an immense event. Should be an interesting day. Off duty ambulance, police and firefighters are volunteering to assist this company.
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Post by Jazz on Nov 15, 2010 8:41:00 GMT
L’Hôpital Saint Louis. Your photos are great, Kerouac. Good for me, because I didn’t know how to work my new digital camera at that time. A few years ago in my readings, I came across the ‘lost twin’ of the Place des Vosges and wanted to visit it, was fascinated. In 2007, I took the beautiful trip up the Canal Saint Martin which ended at la Villette. Then, I wandered slowly back to the Seine and enroute, I discovered L’Hôpital Saint Louis. It fulfilled my fantasies and was very much like the Place des Vosges. It was not at all forboding to me. The small garden is beautiful. That day I remember acutely. I was stunned by its resemblance to Place des Vosges. Thank you for photos that I consider special. One reference: www.metropoleparis.com/1999/437/437hosp.html |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2010 10:14:00 GMT
All of the big old hospitals of Paris have the same sort of inner courtyard in various styles -- Pitié-Salpétrière, Lariboisière, Hôtel Dieu, Antoine, etc. However a number of the old hospitals have been torn down and replaced by new buildings, but generally the ones from 'just' the 19th or early 20th century. If there are really historic buildings, they are always preserved, even if they become something else.
A number of Paris hospitals will be closed in the coming decade, because they are being merged into huge medical complexes, reputedly 'more efficient'.
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