Nursing home of the elderly priests - Tournai

The Nursing Home of the Former Priests is a foundation founded in the 13th century and intended to care for the elderly priests of the diocese.

The enormous classical-style building, built between 1755-1760 on the model of the Hôtel d'Estrée in Paris , was designed according to the plans of the architects Playez and Van Dael. It forms a U-shaped whole consisting of three wings. Upstairs, in a large ceremonial room, was the chapter library . During the French Revolution it became a municipal library and in 1940, like most of the neighboring buildings, it was bombed and burned down.

The building has a facade that is quite sober in composition and decorative treatment. The latter is topped by a pediment whose tympanum, representing the allegory of the Sciences and Letters , was sculpted by Jérome Denau.

At the end of 2006, the seven local priests left. Since 2008, the Hôtel des Anciens Prêtres has been at the heart of a large-scale restoration and repurposing project.

Willem Vandenameele