The Loir-et-Cher Departmental Asylum, also known as the Maison de Santé Départementale de Blois, was a psychiatric institution located in the Bourg-Neuf district of Blois. Operating from 1846 to 1943, it occupied more than 70 hectares at its height and functioned as a self-contained facility on the outskirts of the town until its closure during the German Occupation in World War II.
History
Antecedents Under the Ancien Régime, Blois had no dedicated facility for the mentally ill, who were typically confined in prisons, as was common practice in France. After the French Revolution, some individuals with mental disorders were placed in former convents within the city, while others remained incarcerated. In 1827, the first asylum for the mentally ill was established in the gardens of the charitable bureau, on the site later occupied by the Monsabré parking lot, behind the Château post office. The facility consisted of 21 small and poorly equipped cells and could accommodate up to 50 residents, a capacity that quickly became inadequate. Unable to accommodate all patients locally, the Conseil général of Loir-et-Cher reached an agreement in 1839 with the authorities of the neighboring department of Loiret to admit individuals from Loir-et-Cher into their facilities. However, the financial burden of these transfers soon prompted the Conseil général to create its own departmental asylum.
Creation of the departmental asylum
A departmental asylum was established in May 1846 on Avenue de Paris (now Avenue Maunoury) in Blois. Under the direction of Dr. Ernest Billod (1819–1886), the institution expanded rapidly, growing from 77 patients in 1849 to 413 in 1852. The increase in admissions, driven by an emphasis on financial returns, eventually resulted in Dr. Billod’s dismissal following accusations of mistreatment. During this period, the asylum was expanded with several buildings designed by departmental architect Alexandre Pinault. The entrance, situated at the intersection of Avenue de Paris (now Avenue Maunoury) and Avenue Paul-Reneaulme, opened onto a courtyard bordered by the director’s residence and an administrative building. A second gateway provided access to the main asylum courtyard, opposite a chapel served by a resident chaplain. The men’s and women’s quarters were arranged on either side of the courtyard and divided into sections for quiet, senile, epileptic, agitated, and affluent patients.
Within the institution, several workshops, including textile weaving, carpentry, basketry, clog-making, shoemaking, tailoring, and sewing, offered patients occupational activities and allowed the production of everyday items. Recreational activities such as walks, gymnastics, singing, and theatrical or magic-lantern performances were also organized.
Expansion and fire In 1852, the departmental asylum was expanded to include a large agricultural estate extending from Avenue de Paris (now Avenue Maunoury) to Chemin des Lions (now Rue Honoré-de-Balzac). The estate comprised a cowshed, pigsty, sheepfold, henhouse, stable, and cultivated fields, providing employment opportunities for patients and contributing to the institution’s self-sufficiency in food production. The asylum’s development was temporarily interrupted by a fire on August 13, 1855, which originated in the attic of the men’s quarters. The fire, controlled after two hours, caused damages estimated at 18,500 francs but resulted in no casualties. The facility was insured and fully restored by October of the same year.
Acquisition of the Villa Saint-Lazare
In 1861, the departmental asylum was expanded following the acquisition by the Loir-et-Cher department of the Villa Saint-Lazare and its 11-hectare park, now part of the Robert-Badinter school complex. Under the direction of Dr. Jules Lunier (1822–1884), the property was converted into a psychiatric clinic designed to accommodate affluent patients with nervous disorders. Under the direction of architect Stanislas Beau, the Villa Saint-Lazare underwent extensive modifications beginning in 1872. To the east of the original building (now corresponding to the Hugo building of the current school complex), a second structure was constructed following the same plan and elevation as the Villa Saint-Lazare; this is now the Lunier building of the school complex. While the older villa was built with Beauce limestone and tuffeau, the new building employed Chauvigny stone and featured a different decorative style. Set slightly back from the two villas, a third, narrower building connected them, forming a symmetrical arrangement characteristic of 19th-century hospital architecture. Around 1970, this connecting building was demolished and replaced by the “Building J” of the school complex and its current dormitory. Additional annex buildings were subsequently added to the main complex, including a thermal establishment located behind the central building and a series of pavilions distributed throughout the park. These brick-and-stone pavilions, covered with roofs featuring wooden eaves, were designed to isolate wealthier patients. Most were demolished during the 1970s, with only three surviving: “Les Tilleuls” (used for certain classes), “Les Glaïeuls” (now part of the Maison des Lycéens), and “Les Acacias” (used as staff housing).
Despite the integration of Villa Saint-Lazare into the departmental asylum, its park underwent only minor changes. It was expanded with an orchard and intersected by walkways to facilitate patient walks organized by Dr. Lunier.
New expansions
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