Ancien hôpital Saint-Marcoul et sa chapelle

Reims

On coronation days Reims filled with the sick. They came from far off, on foot, with the sores on their necks, and waited for days to be counted, examined and drawn up in lines for the king to pass. In 1646 a devout woman of Reims, Marguerite Rousselet, who was already treating them in her own home, opened a house for them in the rue Brûlée; Archbishop Léonor d'Estampes de Valençay placed it under the name of Saint Marcoul, the healer of scrofula whose relics lay at Corbeny. The establishment became the town's hospital for the scrofulous: there they were lodged, dressed and sorted. The chapel was rebuilt in 1664, a wing added along the street in 1737. It was here that the story came to an end: a few days after being crowned on 29 May 1825, Charles X came to touch the sick who had been gathered in the salle Sainte-Agnès — the figure most often cited is one hundred and twenty-one, and five children were afterwards declared cured. No king began again. The buildings have changed their use; the chapel of 1664 is still standing.

Wikipédia — Ancien hôpital Saint-Marcoul ↗

Getting there : Rue Brûlée, in the centre of Reims. The buildings today house a school and exhibition rooms, and the chapel a dance company: the interior can be seen only on the occasion of exhibitions, performances or the heritage days. The façade and the chapel can be seen from the street.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound