Hospice Saint Nicolas de Troyes

This neoclassical building was built in 1836 and completed in 1844. It was built on the site of the former medieval guesthouse.

The first Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Nicolas dates from the 12th century and was founded and managed by the chapter of the cathedral. It is the oldest, but was of much less importance than the hôtel-dieu-le-comte . The lordship of Chrodegeng of Metz prescribed the opening of such structures to the inhabitants, but especially to pilgrims passing through the city. Hence its location near a city gate and the presence of the canal also helped to guarantee the hygiene of the establishment.

It was run by religious men and women , of whom there were no more than a dozen, who cared for the people. The Hôtel-Dieu also had a temporary fund which came from donations and was used to run the establishment. It was open until the 16th century, but from the 14th century its use began to decline. In 1630, the foundations of the hospitals St-Abraham, St-Esprit and St-Bernard were merged to form the Hospice Saint-Nicolas; it was then often called the Enfermerie and the Renfermerie. It was still in use in the mid-20th century.

The chapel was rebuilt in the 16th century thanks to the generosity of Jean Brodart, parish priest of Creney and master of the Hospice. The chapel still retains its decoration, painted by Anne-François Arnaud in 1845, and stained glass windows by M. Hugot de Troyes when it was rebuilt by the architect Pierre Gauthier between 1839 and 1843. At the far end of the courtyard, the large portal of the former chapel is surmounted by a triangular pediment with the attributes of the bishop (mitre, crosier and cross) and is topped by a bell tower with a clock. The eastern end of the facade marks the site of the first wall and the former Porte des Ursins (eastern gate).

In 1988 it became a retirement home and in 1997 it was closed .

Willem Vandenameele