Hospice général de Lille, Historical monument in Old Lille, France.

Hospice général de Lille is a former hospital whose 140-metre facade runs along Avenue du Peuple-Belge, set back behind a black iron fence on a low stone base. The plans by Pierre Vigné de Vigny, modelled on the Hôtel des Invalides, provided for a rectangular complex of buildings separated by six courtyards, of which four were built. The facade is framed by two pavilions at its ends and has a monumental central porch topped by a triangular pediment bearing a sun, emblem of Louis XIV. Built of limestone, stone and brick on sandstone bases, the building has three storeys, one of them mansard-roofed in slate, and a raised ground floor.

King Louis XV authorized the founding of this establishment in 1738 under royal architect Pierre Vigné de Vigny's direction. It was built to shelter abandoned children and disabled people, serving as a major welfare institution in the city for many years.

The name "hospice général" refers to the royal system of general hospitals set up to confine beggars and put them to work. The triangular pediment over the central porch carries a sun, emblem of Louis XIV, who ordered such institutions in 1662. The former pharmacy on the ground floor of a courtyard wing, with its preparation room and furnace, is shown by the Association du musée hospitalier régional de Lille.

The building is located in the historic old town along a wide avenue and is easily reached on foot. Since it now houses a business school, interior access may be limited, but the classical facade and exterior details are readily viewable from the street.

The hospital pharmacy survives on the ground floor of a wing facing the cour d'honneur, with its preparation room and furnace kept in place. Visits are organised by the Association du musée hospitalier régional de Lille, so the room is not simply a leftover: it is shown as a museum piece of hospital life.