Maison Folie Hospice d'Havré

The history of the Hospice d'Havre goes back to the 13th century when Mahaut de Guînes, Countess of Saint-Pol, donated a manor house to take in the destitute. Later entrusted to a community of nuns, they maintained the reception of orphans and elderly people before devoting themselves to the teaching of young girls. Another congregation then took over the management of the hospice and it was not until 1998 that the site lost its initial function. Transformed into a "Maison Folie" on the occasion of "Lille 2004, European Capital of Culture", the site becomes a place of welcome for many cultural events. Shows, concerts, exhibitions or debates and meetings with writers and artists follow one another and bring the Hospice d'Havre back to life. A Renaissance-inspired garden with ponds and thematic squares of medicinal and tinctorial plants adds to the charm of the place.