καιρός remembered

Hôtel-Dieu

Hôtel or Hostel-Dieu is the name of hospitals that were founded all over France by the nobility and the rich for the sick and the poor. They were administered by the Catholic Church. Maybe that’s why Dieu was added to Hôtel or Hostel, derived from the Latin hospes.

The Hôtel-Dieu in Louhans was constructed around 1685 and run by nuns of the order of Sainte-Marthe, till its closure in 1977. A historical monument worth a visit when you happen to be in Louhans.

When the nuns attended mass in the chapel of the large hospital ward, the patients could listen to it from their beds and so get their share of salvation.

The Hôtel-Dieu, the large hospital ward, with in the middle the entrance to the chapel, Louhans, France 2024

Photo of the week: The Hôtel-Dieu, chapel, Louhans, France 2024