Devoir tourisme

Barème sur 40 ; le professeur correcteur rétablira la note sur 20.

Part 1 – The Hôtel Dieu 8 points

There has been a hospital on the site of the Hôtel Dieu for more than 800 years. Two small hospitals built by

the side of the Rhône were amalgamated and were then conferred to a religious order, ‘les Frères Pontifes’ at

the end of the 12th century.

In 1478 the town authorities took over the running of the hospital. It had become necessary to extend the

hospital, and in 1480 a special tax was levied to pay for the building work. The extension was completed in 1493

and the hospital was named the «Grand Hôpital du Pont du Rosne». During the 16th century, the hospital was

largely financed by donations and bequests. A surgical department was opened, employing amongst others a

certain François Rabelais. Further extensions were added on to the hospital in the 17th century, notably a chapel

dedicated to ‘Notre-Dame de la Pitié’. Building work on the chapel finished in 1645, but the façade and the two

bell-towers were completed ten years later.

In 1732 it was decided to construct a large extension to the hospital, fronting on to the Rhône. After lengthy

discussions, it was decided to appoint the young architect Germain Soufflot to design the building. Work on

the new building started in 1741 and the structural work was completed in 1748. However, due to a lack of

funds, work on the façade and the construction of the central dome were suspended for 12 years. The project

was eventually completed in 1764.

Throughout the first half of the 19th century significant additions and alterations to the building took place.

The chapel was restored and two wings added on to the main building. Happily, the design of the two wings

retained the style of Soufflot’s building.

The only other notable change to the building came towards the end of the Second World War, when the

central dome was destroyed during the liberation of Lyon. A new dome was constructed in 1955.

81T6 C01 – 2/6

1.1. Listen to the recording and say whether the following statements are

true or false 5 points

True False

1. The hotel Dieu is more than 800 years old.  

2. The original buildings were on one bank of the Rhône.  

3. In the 15th century there was a bridge over the river on the site of the hospital.  

4. By the 1470s the hospital had become too small.  

5. Les Frères Pontifes raised a special tax to pay for the building work.  

6. The town authorities financed the hospital throughout the 16th century.  

7. The hospital's chapel dates from the middle of the 17th century.  

8. A new extension was built in the 1730s.  

9. The building work carried out in the 18th and in the early 19th centuries was

in the same architectural style.  

10. The present day central dome was constructed in 1764.  

1.2. Listen to the recording again and say which of the following summaries is correct.

3 points

The correct summary is 'C' (The mistakes in the other two are indicated in italics.)

(Voir ci-contre)

81T6 C01 – 3/6

A B C

• The Hôtel - Dieu is over 800

years old.

• Two small hospitals were

amalgamated at the end of the

12th century.

• Town authorities took over

the hospital in the late 15th

century.

• The necessary building work

was financed by a special tax.

• Rabelais worked in the

hospital.

• The hospital was further

extended in the 17th century.

• A chapel with two bell-towers

was built.

• In the 18th century the hospital

was extended away from the

Rhône.

• Soufflot designed the new

building.

• The building work took over

30 years.

• The chapel was renovated in

the 19th century.

• A new wing was built at the

same time.

• The original central dome was

destroyed during the Second

World War.

• It was rebuilt in the 1950’s.

• There was a hospital on the

site over 800 years ago.

• Two small hospitals were

amalgamated at the end of the

12th century.

• Les frères Pontifes ran the

hospital in the late 15th

century.

• The necessary building work

was financed by donations.

• Rabelais worked in the

hospital.

• The hospital was further

extended in the 17th century.

• A chapel with a bell-tower was

built.

• In the 18th century the hospital

was extended by the side of

the Rhône.

• Soufflot designed the new

building.

• The building work took over

30 years.

• The chapel was renovin the

19th century.

• Two new wings were built at

the same time.

• The original central dome was

destroyed during the Second

World War.

• It was rebuilt in the 1950’s.

• There was a hospital on the

site