Chapel of the Hospital

Built in 1704, thanks to the profits of a factory of wool stockings, it remains a place of worship. Its decoration is typical of the 19th century.

The Hospital

The Catholic committee of Annonay decided in 1686 to create a hospital establishment controlled by municipal officials. The following year in 1687, the Sisters of St Joseph were brought in and the poor of the Notre Dame la Belle hospital were transferred to the new premises.
Why this decision? For a long time the inhabitants of Annonay have wanted a large hospital, following the example of the larger towns: they bring in one of the directors of the hospital in Valence to obtain information with a view to a possible foundation. On the other hand, let's not forget that hospitalization was at the time essentially reserved for the poor and vagabonds: these, whose numbers were increasing at the end of the 17th century, threatened to disturb public order. We even remember that Annonay experienced a "riot of the poor" in 1534. And for this reason we prefer to install them "outside the walls". A letter patent from King Louis 15 of November 1757 officially erected the establishment as a Royal Hospital under the title: "Hospice of the Child Jesus". It brings together the funds of the former hospitals of the Chaplaincy and Notre Dame la Belle. It was then the only hospital in town. There is a machine in the hospital for making stockings to employ the ladies and children, the profits are first used to build the chapel of the hospital in 1704. The establishment continues to expand with a cemetery north of the Field and additional land was acquired in 1757 to develop a botanical garden for the hospital pharmacy. New buildings were erected in 1874-1875.
To provide space for walks to convalescents, the property which extends to the Chemin de Paras is purchased. In 1978, the complete transformation led to the new hospital center after 100 years of development and transformation.

La Chapelle

The Chapel of the Hospital was built in 1704, in the extension of the buildings of the old general hospital. She was delivered to worship on December 20, 1705 by Mr Léorat Picansel, in his capacity as Vicar General of Monseigneur de Chabot, Bishop of Mende, on which Annonay then depended. The chapel still has its original walls today. It stands outside the ramparts of the city which extend, approximately, from the top of the stairs of the Faya coast to the rue des Fossés du Champ, along the Champ de Mars, and of which there remains as a current witness on this route, a low and elongated building flanked by a tower. Initially, it was the Sisters of St Joseph who took care of it, they were expelled during the Revolution and for 10 years, lay people took care of the hospital. Around 1800, the order of the Trinitarians was brought in (nb: Jean de Matras founded a hospital order in the 12th century, the Trinitarians, to redeem the prisoners taken by the Turks during the Crusades, wounded or sick.) An order of woman it was therefore created in Valence, they came to the hospital and renovated the chapel. This chapel was used above all for the patients of the hospital, replacing 2 other chapels located around. At the beginning of the 20th century, the chapel was modernized and the furniture was partially replaced. The interior of the current chapel is in an excellent state of conservation. It is typical of 19th century decoration with its rose window above the choir, its fluted and gilded pilasters, its statues (in particular that of St Michael), its baptismal font and its Stations of the Cross. In 1980 the city wanted to destroy the chapel to make a parking lot. So several people have the interior of the chapel classified as a Historic Monument. Listed objects: confessionals, marble baptistery, the Stations of the Cross paintings, the rose window, the chandeliers, the woodwork and the altar.
The commune of Annonay has owned it since 1985. Today the hospital still provides the heating for the chapel. Some funerals are still celebrated there.

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