Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Teaching hospital in 13th arrondissement, France
Pitié-Salpêtrière is a large teaching hospital in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, with numerous buildings and a monumental chapel dating from the 17th century. The complex covers around 90 acres (36 hectares) and combines historic architecture with modern medical facilities.
Louis XIV ordered the conversion of a former gunpowder factory into a hospital for poor women in 1657, giving the site its medical purpose. Over time, the facility merged with a children's hospice and grew into a major institution of healthcare.
The name Salpêtrière comes from the saltpeter factory that once stood on this site before the hospital was built. The baroque chapel still draws attention today and hosts religious services and special ceremonies.
Access is generally restricted to patients and visitors, though some historic areas occasionally open during special guided tours. The chapel can be viewed from the outside, and a glance into the courtyard gives a sense of the historic layout.
Several famous people were treated here, including Princess Diana after her car crash in 1997. Historic figures such as Jean-Paul Marat also spent time within these walls.
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