Sint-Franciscus Xaveriusziekenhuis, Medical institution in central Bruges, Belgium
Sint-Franciscus Xaveriusziekenhuis is a hospital in central Bruges set at the corner of Spanish Loskaai and Oosterlingenplein with a symmetrical Renaissance-style facade and rounded arch doors. The complex contains several connected buildings of different construction periods that form a unified medical campus.
The institution began in 1361 when the Black Sisters started caring for the sick, and later moved to a permanent site at Woensdagmarkt in 1807. The building we see today blends the original Renaissance structures with a modern extension completed in 1961.
The Black Sisters shaped this place through their nursing work and a practice of redistributing donated clothing from deceased patients to the poor in the city. This tradition shows how the institution was woven into the community and its values of care and reuse.
The hospital sits in a convenient central location within the medieval part of Bruges, blending easily with surrounding streets and modern city activity. Keep in mind that parts of the site still function as an active medical facility, so some areas may not be freely accessible to visitors.
The roof has a distinctive mansard design with fifteen dormer windows stacked across four stories, a feature inspired by classical Paris architecture. This sloped-roof solution was a clever way to gain extra space without adding height to the building.
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