Grand Hôtel Dieu

You are now entering Lyon’s Grand Hôtel Dieu. Hôtel-Dieu’s were charitable institutions founded and run by religious orders, usually Christian, with the aim of providing medical care and charitable services to the sick and needy. These ancient and precious hospitals can be found in most French cities. The one in Lyon was founded in 542 by the bishop Saint Benoît. From hospice it turned into a hospital, and was recognised as one of the best in Lyon. Modern, innovative and the epitome of medical excellence. Even the writer François Rabelais settled here in 1532 and practiced medicine, while writing some of his greatest works, such as Gargantua and Pantagruel… This architectural gem, has been open to public since 2018, after being entirely refurbished it became a central feature of the city’s lifestyle. The current building is at the cutting edge of modernity, as it has always been throughout its history. With 62,000 m² of floor space, spanning over five inner courtyards, the Grand Hôtel Dieu has many facets: fashion, design, gastronomy, etc. Here, you’ll find many clothing brands, as well as culinary delights, including the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie, which offers an interactive trail on the theme of taste, to help you learn more about the art of eating well. For years and until 2010, hanging from the dome of the Hôtel Dieu you could admire the remains of a crocodile that terrorised the city’s inhabitants…. This animal had travelled up the Rhône and settled under the Guillotière bridge, right next to you, and had got into the habit of devouring sailors who passed by, bringing a real sense of terror to the people of Lyon. The legend, which dates back to 1745, has it that two prisoners on death row offered to hunt it down in exchange for their freedom. Using a handful of sand to blind it and a spear to sting it, they managed to kill the crocodile before the very eyes of the many Lyonnais who had come to witness the scene. After that, they became true heroes of the city, and their wish was granted: they were free once again. The crocodile’s carcass was initially hung in the Chapelle du Saint-Esprit under the bridge, then transferred to the Hôtel Dieu after the chapel was demolished. Whether you believe this surprising story or not, Lyon’s crocodile, or at least its remains, did indeed exist and are a symbol of the city to this day! It is even said that it has found a new home in the museum of the Hospice’s civilians.