At that time, sick persons piled in here to die in 24h stopwatch

Current buildings date back to the 18th century: they replaced the old wooden Hôtel-Dieu ("general hospital") founded by counts of Champagne, which fell into ruin.

In the past, they cured here everybody, women, men, children, soldiers, bourgeois, tramps... for only 60 beds! But they often put several sick persons in the same bed...

The doctor said this room was so damp that patients could not recover! They get diseases, worse than their own illness! They used to call this room salle des 24 heures, "24 hours' room", because inside, you'd die very quickly!

So the hospital really needed a reconstruction. The first stone of the building was laid down in 1702. The work was finished in 1725: we found on the ground floor the drugstore and on the first floor the maternity home.

But the hospital was still too small! It had to be extended... Between 1733 and 1764, the Hôtel-Dieu took its current shape.

A doctor from Troyes said in 1781 "it's the most beautiful hospital in France". Sure, nice buildings, but above all a gorgeous collection of medicinal boxes presented in a room flanked by panelling (18th century).

Also, don't miss the iron gate (1760) made by Parisian manufacturer Pierre Delphin: amazing! We can see above France's coat of arms with the Saint-Esprit order collar, and blazons of Champagne and Navarre.