The Hôtel-Dieu is one of the city’s longest buildings with a façade overlooking the Rhône. Built in the 12th Century, it was Lyon’s very first hospital and kept this function until 2010 when it was given a complete makeover. It took seven years to return the building to its former glory.
The main courtyard is visited by around 100,000 visitors every year during the four-day Festival of Lights.
Since 2005, this unique site has hosted artistic projects engineered by Lyon hospital architect Alain Bénini. The closed courtyard is the ideal setting for a calm musical interlude or even a dance.
In 2012, the artist chose to illustrate the written word in “Correspondances” while the following year, the courtyard was home to all four seasons in “Caresse Climatique.”
Source: Lyon History Museum - Musées Gadagne • To find out more
