Paris1972-Versailles2003

A wonderful area of my eternal Paris and former working neighborhood. This is a beautiful monument gladly will be saved, worth the detour me think, The fact the area is romantic and quant, and nostalgic for me as was near my working area for a couple years, a wonderful historical building and of course ,Paris makes all worth it. I have found me again pictures in my cd rom vault and should be in my blog for you and me. Therefore, here is my take on the former Hôpital La Rochefoucauld of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Hôpital La Rochefoucauld Hospital is a former Public Assistance Hospital (AP-HP) located at 15 Avenue du Général-Leclerc, also overlooking 8bis-8ter Avenue René-Coty, in the 14éme arrondissement of Paris. The site is served by metro Line 4 at the Mouton-Duvernet station. The hospital comprises a large 18C neoclassical U-shaped building. This “Royal House of Health” was founded in 1780 with the assistance of King Louis XVI. It was built by the architect Jacques-Denis Antoine, designer of the Hôtel de la Monnaie as well. The establishment, named the Royal Health House, was endowed by the Viscountess of La Rochefoucauld (La Rochefoucauld-Surgères branch), née Anne Rosalie Chauvelin, daughter of the Keeper of the Seals Germain-Louis Chauvelin. The establishment was renamed, during the French revolution, the National Hospice of Montrouge, before being named in 1821 the Hospice of La Rochefoucauld, then the Hôpital La Rochefoucauld. The gardens were amputated, to the east, by the creation of the Sceaux line and the Avenue du Parc-de-Montsouris and, to the west, by the construction of the “Hôtel des Postes” in 1907. From Avenue René-Coty, we can clearly see the rear facade of the house and the curious “regard de Saux” at no. 25 of the Medici aqueduct aka Arcueil aqueduct, a discreet stone building dating from the 17C and bears witness to ancient hydraulic engineering which governed the water pipes supplying the asylum. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Dumangin, head physician of the Hôpital de la Charité de Paris, was the first physician at the health center founded by Father Gérard des Frères de Saint-Jean de Dieu in 1782. Doctor Dumangin was called by the Committee of General Security on June 7, 1795 to go to the Temple Tower, the day before the death of Louis XVII, in order to relieve Doctor Pelletan of a burden that he did not want to take on alone and to help him treat the son of the deceased Louis XVI.

This Maison royale de Santé or royal health house was established near the old Barrière d’Enfer, outside the Wall of the Farmers General, in the Petit-Montrouge quartier or neighborhood, and on the main road leading to Bourg-la-Reine, to receive exclusively sick and destitute soldiers and clergymen. In 1819, to the north of the site planned for the left wing, a building was built for the infirmaries, the men’s ward for the severely disabled, and the linen room. The left wing was built in 1825. It housed the chapel. Able-bodied men occupied the central building, while women occupied the left wing. The right wing housed the refectory on the ground floor, and the community and the severely disabled ward on the upper floors. At the entrance to the garden, the left-hand pavilion was used for administration, while the older one on the right was used for the porter’s quarters and various secondary services. In 2019, the hospital closed. It is made available for the temporary accommodation of isolated women, then rented temporarily in 2022 to the police station of the 14éme arrondissement during the renovation work on its building on Avenue du Maine.

After consultation on its future use by the City of Paris and the mayor of the 14éme arrondissement, the Giboire Group, winner of the consultation regarding the sale of La Rochefoucauld. Giboire is associated with Galia (investor), François Brugel Architectes Associés (lead architects), Sébastien Cord (heritage architect), and Osty & Associés (landscape architect). will host a temporary cultural third-place starting in the summer of 2025, before being completely renovated by 2027. Spanning nearly one hectare, this wooded space, designed in the 18C, adopts a neoclassical composition with its plane tree-lined paths, symmetrical flowerbeds, and staggered groves, typical of French gardens designed with a hygienic spirit. The garden will be open every afternoon and all day on Wednesdays and weekends, and will offer a cultural program as well as participatory activities, designed as a preamble to future uses. The former sanatorium will thus become, for one summer, an open and inclusive living space, combining exhibitions, concerts, artistic workshops, open-air screenings and relaxation areas.

The private association Sites et Monuments on the former Hospital de Rochefoucauld : https://www.sitesetmonuments.org/l-ancien-hopital-la-rochefoucauld-paris-14e-arr-un-site-remarquable-en-peril

The official Public Assistance of the hospitals of Paris on the former hospital : https://www.aphp.fr/espace-medias/liste-ressources-presse/lap-hp-cede-lancien-hopital-de-la-rochefoucauld-pour-laisser

The Paris tourist office on the 14éme arrondissement de Paris : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/explore-paris-s-14th-arrondissement-a836

This is another dandy monument that gladly will be saved on a nice area to walk around the neighborhood of Montparnasse; this is Paris at its best and architecture and history all around you, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the former Hôpital La Rochefoucauld of Paris !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!