Hôtel-Dieu

"The Hôtel-Dieu—the oldest hospital in Paris. Centuries older than the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is down the street. Hospitals as we know them haven't exactly been invented yet, so you're more likely to get sick inside than to leave cured."

―Bishop describing the Hôtel-Dieu, 2014.

A sewer entrance near the Hôtel-Dieu

The Hôtel-Dieu de Paris is the oldest hospital in Paris, located on the Île de la Cité.

History

Dating to the mid-7th century, the Hôtel-Dieu was originally started as a refuge for the poor and sick, funded by the nobility as a charity. Under Francis I, the Pont au Double was built across the Seine to transport patients to the Hôtel-Dieu.

The Hôtel-Dieu's sewer entrance seen from the river

By the time of the French Revolution, the Hôtel-Dieu had earned a horrendous reputation, the people dying there more likely to have contracted disease from inside the hospital than outside. The sewers under the building were used by Templars to smuggle out artifacts stolen from the Notre-Dame. In response, Arno Dorian and a team of Assassins broke into the sewers and recovered the artifacts.

Despite the numerous renovations undertaken on the Hôtel-Dieu over the years, it still serves as an emergency center for the first 9 arrondissements of Paris.

Gallery

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  Concept art of the Hôtel-Dieu

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Unity