Hôtel-Dieu

That building opposite you on the left bank is the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris. It’s the city’s oldest hospital! It was founded in 651, at the behest of the Bishop of Paris, to care for those most in need. At the time, it was one of the first to be founded in Western Europe. What you see, however, is not the original building! It became too small, so it was demolished and rebuilt in the 1860s. The new building spanned 22,000 square meters, taking up 13 streets on the Île de la Cité. You see, according to a 1788 report, the hospital had just 1,210 beds for 3,418 inpatients! The sick were crammed in on top of each other, epidemics were rampant and mortality rates were higher than in any other hospital. So the building was rebuilt and expanded, always with a view of the Seine River! Mind you, this wasn’t just for the sake of it! The riverbanks meant access to water, which was not yet polluted in the run-up to the Industrial Revolution, but also fresh air and plenty of natural light. Makes sense, since no building could be constructed on the Seine. So what better spot to build it? It might be hard to picture it, but the Paris quays weren’t as charming prior to the 19th century. Back then, the riverbanks were lined with shadowy, vaulted passageways. Those of the Hôtel-Dieu were used as washhouses, sewage outlets and landing stages. There are also tales of corpses disappearing here. Some believe medical students would steal bodies from the Hôtel Dieu and bring them here to dissect them and perfect their knowledge of anatomy. By 1727, these vaults had become ever more unsafe and were gated off at night, before being demolished when the new Hôtel-Dieu was built in 1878. As of 2019, there’s a redevelopment project underway, to make room for a medical business incubator, with a coworking space for professionals exploring the potential of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. There will also be room for other facilities, including a multi-purpose venue, a patients’ association, a student residence, a daycare center, as well as several shops and restaurants. This historic building will soon be opening its doors to the public.