Prieuré hospitalier de Corbeil, Hospital priory in Corbeil-Essonnes, France.
The priory is a hospital complex on an enclosed site with multiple buildings, of which only Saint John's Chapel from the 12th century survives. The grounds have been transformed into a modern medical centre with psychiatric services and diagnostic imaging facilities.
Founded in 1223 by Queen Ingeborg of France, widow of King Philip II, the priory received papal approval from Pope Honorius III. During the French Revolution, the site became a powder factory in 1793, leading to the demolition of most structures.
Saint John's Chapel, the sole remaining medieval structure, now hosts rotating exhibitions of local and regional artwork. The space serves as a gathering point where visitors can encounter contemporary creativity within the original stone walls.
Saint John's Chapel is accessible during exhibition hours and sits within an active hospital grounds. Check the current opening times before visiting, as the site remains a functioning medical facility with restricted access areas.
The chapel was repurposed as a charcoal production facility during the Revolution, which scorched its brick walls and roof. This conversion represents one of the few visible reminders of the site's dramatic swing from religious use to industrial production during that turbulent period.
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