Charenton asylum, Psychiatric hospital in Saint-Maurice, France

Charenton asylum, now Hôpital Esquirol, is a psychiatric hospital complex in Saint-Maurice. Its neoclassical buildings, constructed from 1838 by architect Émile Gilbert and completed by Arthur Diet in 1886, follow Jean-Étienne Esquirol's theories: a central building for general services flanked by isolated patient blocks surrounded by galleries. A stone gateway bears the carved inscription "HOPITAL ESQUIROL".

The institution began in 1645 when the Brothers of Charity established a small hospital following a donation from Sébastien Leblanc, advisor to Louis XIII. It later grew into one of France's leading psychiatric facilities.

The name Esquirol, adopted in 1973, honours Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol, chief physician from 1826. Director François Simonnet de Coulmiers, in office from 1804, let patients stage their own plays as therapy; Esquirol criticised this as turning them into a public exhibit. The gateway on rue du Maréchal-Leclerc carries the carved inscription "HOPITAL ESQUIROL".

The facility is well connected by public transportation and operates specialized psychiatric departments serving multiple areas. Keep in mind that this is an active medical center, so access may be restricted to certain areas and times.

The stone gateway arch at the entrance carries the carved inscription "HOPITAL ESQUIROL", a name adopted in 1973 to honour the physician Jean-Étienne Esquirol, chief physician from 1826. The site was classified as a monument historique on 9 April 1998.