Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean)
MonumentHidden Treasure
Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean), located in Angers (Maine-et-Loire), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Angers, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.4782, -0.5578
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108887
A jewel of Plantagenet art, the former Saint-Jean Hospital in Angers, founded in 1175, features patient wards with ribbed vaults stretching over 60 metres — a medieval hospital masterpiece that is unique in France.
History
In the heart of Angers, on the banks of the River Maine, the Hôtel-Dieu, formerly the Hôpital Saint-Jean, stands out as one of the best-preserved medieval hospital monuments in Europe. Founded in the twelfth century at the instigation of the Plantagenet dynasty, it is the epitome of Christian charity and architectural ambition at a time when caring for the body and uplifting the soul were the same ideal. What radically distinguishes the Hôpital Saint-Jean from other French hospitals is the extraordinary integrity of its medieval architecture. The main ward, over 60 metres long, is covered with Plantagenet ribbed vaults whose ribs fall on cylindrical white tufa columns - a structural feat that gives the space an almost unreal lightness, more akin to a cathedral than an infirmary. Visiting the building is like stepping back in time, and of a rare quality. The medieval rooms, stripped of all superfluous furnishings, allow visitors to fully appreciate the volumes and subtle polychromy of the stonework. The former cellar, now converted into an exhibition space, houses Jean Lurçat's famous tapestries, "Le Chant du Monde", woven in the 20th century in direct response to the Angers Apocalypse hanging - a striking dialogue between the Middle Ages and modernity. The outside setting is not to be outdone: the carefully reconstructed medicinal plant gardens are reminiscent of the garden of simple plants essential to any medieval hospital establishment. The cloister and its galleries offer a soothing stroll, where the golden stone of the Anjou tufa combines with the greenery. The whole complex forms an island of serenity in the heart of the city, ideal for lovers of art, history and ancient medicine.
Architecture
The Hôpital Saint-Jean in Angers is a masterly example of Plantagenet Gothic architecture, a style specific to western France that differs from the Gothic of the Île-de-France region in that it features curved vaults with multiple ribs, known as "Angevin vaults". The large patients' ward, oriented east-west in the medieval hospital tradition, is divided into three naves by two rows of cylindrical columns made of white tufa, a light, golden limestone typical of the Loire Valley. The rib vaults, with their remarkable span and elevation, create an atmosphere of paradoxical lightness for a space almost 60 metres long. The high lancet windows, now partially restored, once flooded the room with zenithal light, promoting healing according to medieval medical theories. The convent complex also includes a 13th-century cellar with pointed barrel vaults resting on sculpted bases, a Gothic chapel and a cloister whose galleries with ogival arches frame a reconstructed medicinal plant garden. The materials used are homogeneous: Anjou tuffeau for the facings and sculptures, slate from the Anjou basin for the steeply pitched roofs - a white and blue-grey colour combination typical of Loire architecture. The buildings are laid out on a regular plan, with a succession of treatment, prayer and production areas, reflecting the self-sufficient organisation of medieval hospitals.
Related Figures
Henri II Plantagenêt — roi d'Angleterre et comte d'Anjou, fondateur de l'hôpital en 1175Thomas Becket — archevêque de Canterbury dont l'assassinat motiva la fondation expiatoireProsper Mérimée — inspecteur des Monuments Historiques, fit classer l'édifice dès 1840Jean Lurçat — peintre et poète, créateur des tapisseries « Le Chant du Monde » (1957-1966)Le roi René (René Ier d'Anjou) — duc d'Anjou et bienfaiteur de l'établissement au XVe siècleÉtienne de Marsay — évêque d'Angers, superviseur de la construction initiale
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean) located?
Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean) is located in Angers, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean) built?
Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean) dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean) open to visitors?
Hôtel Dieu (ancien hôpital Saint-Jean) is currently closed to visitors.