Rehabilitated and reopened to the public, the Grand Hôtel Dieu has become one of the must-see buildings in Lyon. This giant bears witness to the city's long medical and architectural culture, having survived 800 years of Lyon's history and progress.
The most emblematic building in Lyon
Built from the 12th century on the banks of the Rhône, the Hôtel Dieu de Lyon was for centuries one of the most important and famous hospitals in France.
An impressive building with a rich hospital past
This vast 375-metre building ceased its hospital activity in 2010 to become a shopping centre and a luxury hotel. As a figure of Lyon's heritage, it also houses a Cité de la Gastronomie.
Hôtel Dieu: A remarkable hospital past
For 800 years, Hôtel Dieu was the main hospital in Lyon. Renovated many times over the centuries, it is one of the most imposing historic buildings on the peninsula, with its 375-meter long façade along the Rhône, topped by a dome built in 1764.
A notable architectural work
Designed by the architect Jacques Germain Soufflot (18th century), who also designed the Pantheon in Paris, this building was intended to impress visitors arriving in Lyon and to demonstrate the economic power of the city.
A place of birth and medical innovation
Generations of Lyonnais were born in this hospital, which had a maternity ward until its closure in 2010. It was the scene of many medical advances, such as the first X-rays, and welcomed many innovative doctors in the 19th and 20th centuries. This hospital made Lyon a bastion of medicine in Europe, where many European monarchs were treated.
A listed historical site
The Hôtel Dieu also housed the Hospices Civils de Lyon museum for a long time, the building's former owners. It was listed as a historic monument in 1934.
Key dates at the Hôtel Dieu in Lyon
Originally built on the banks of the Rhône in the 12th century, at the same time as the first bridge crossing the Rhône, the Hôtel Dieu today occupies the right bank of the Rhône on the Presqu'île, between the Guillotière and Wilson bridges.
542 : The first hospital in Lyon was created by King Childebert and Queen Ultrogothe, intended for pilgrims and beggars.
1184 : A religious congregation built a facility on the banks of the Rhone to accommodate these populations. The "Pontif brothers" also built the Rhone bridge linking Guillotière to the Presqu'île.
1484 : The congregation entrusted the hospital to the aldermen of Lyon, the elected officials who managed the city. They expanded the establishment, which could accommodate 200 people.
1532 : François Rabelais was appointed doctor at the Hôtel Dieu until 1535. It was in Lyon that he wrote his two books Pantagruel and Gargantua, two classics of French literature.
1622 : Considered too small, the premises were demolished and rebuilt with four rooms in the shape of a cross, surrounding a chapel. The cloister and the chapel are still standing and date from this period.
1741 : The municipality planned to build a new quay from Saint-Clair to Bellecour and asked Soufflot to design a large building along the Rhône. Work began in 1741 and the first phase was completed in 1761. The Grand Dôme was completed in 1764. It was damaged during the French Revolution and rebuilt several times. The current façade along the river was completed in the 19th century.
1896 : Étienne Destot creates the first X-ray service in France at the Hôtel Dieu.
1923 : Léon Bérard creates the second anti-cancer center in France in the Grand Dôme of the Hôtel Dieu.
1944 : The dome was destroyed by fire during the fighting during the Liberation of Lyon. It was rebuilt in the 1960s.
2007-2010 : The hospital services of the Hôtel Dieu were gradually transferred to other hospitals and the building was closed in 2010. The Hospices Civils transferred the building to Crédit Agricole Sud-Est.
2018 : The renovated Hôtel Dieu reopens its doors, now called the Grand Hôtel Dieu.
To discover at the Hôtel Dieu
Once barely accessible to the public, the Hôtel Dieu was mainly a barrier between the Rue de la République and the Rhône. The two hectares of the Hôtel Dieu are now open to the public thanks to seven entrances, successfully connecting the banks to the heart of the city.
The southern part of the Hôtel Dieu, at the corner of Rue Bellecordière and Rue de la Barre, has been transformed into a shopping center with about 40 food, clothing and home goods stores. This is the most recent part of the Hôtel Dieu, dating from the 19th century. The Hôtel Dieu has hosted stores throughout its history to finance the hospital.
In the meantime, the southern cloister has been topped with a large glass roof. This part houses offices as well as restaurants with terraces (Beef House, Wagamama, Buddha Bar, etc.).
The former cloister of the Hôtel Dieu, accessible from the Place de l'Hôpital, was not so long ago a car park. Today, it houses a medicinal plant garden where visitors can stroll or have lunch on the terrace. The garden is a nod to the 16th century, when doctors were mainly botanists and grew their plants in the hospital gardens. It is one of the oldest parts of the Hôtel Dieu (early 17th century).
The Grand Dôme extends 32 meters high, designed by Soufflot to ventilate the hospital and expel germs. It will be the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel, and guests will even be able to climb up to its balcony. The 5-star hotel with its 143 rooms will occupy the large east facade of the building, offering a magnificent view of the Rhone.
The Cité de la Gastronomie will be housed in the cross-shaped building around the small dome, located at the northern end of the building. Parts of this section date back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
