Le Saint Gilles

The former hospital of Saint-Gilles, located at the foot of the Namur citadel , was first documented in the 13th century. It was the first hospital in Namur. It was completely rebuilt between 1667 and 1724 .

It was considered a 'Grand Hôpital' in 1367 and had several names throughout its history: 'Hostellerie de Namur' and then 'Hôpital Notre-Dame' (due to its proximity to the collegiate church of Notre-Dame, now gone ), and 'Grand-Hôpital'. Since the 18th century it has been known as 'Saint-Gilles Hospital'.

The building changed function and was given the official name 'Hospice Sint-Gillis' from 1796. Until 1965 it received destitute old people , men and women. It was dependent on the OCMWs of the city of Namur.

The building consists of three wings in a U-shape overlooking the Meuse and is typical of 17th century buildings in the Mosan region, with a facade of brick walls and limestone base, window frames, window frames and ropeways. Opposite the citadel is a baroque limestone gate.

After the hospice was abandoned in the 1960s , it became the property of the Walloon Region in 1985. The Region started the renovation in the 1990s based on plans by architect André Dupont. The building was consolidated and the external walls were plastered red, restoring the color of the bricks. The interior layout respects existing structures, such as the public hearing room, in a narrow U-shape reminiscent of the English House of Commons. A bold exterior glass roof was later added to facilitate internal circulation.

Today this is the seat of the Walloon parliament.

Archaeological excavations at the end of the 1980s revealed, at a depth of 3.40 meters, the existence of an ancient cemetery of the 16th and 17th centuries. About 350 graves are listed.

Willem Vandenameele