The Women Who Risked It All To Care For Medieval Plague Victims (When Men Wouldn’t)
A tale of heroism and tragedy
Hôtel-Dieu is a public hospital located in Paris, France. It is likely the longest continually operated hospital in the world. The earliest records date the hospital to 651 CE. For centuries, the hospital was a charitable organization run by religious orders to care for the poor and downtrodden. The mission of the hospital was pure, but the conditions inside the hospital were often horrific. Due to rampant poverty and disease, the Hôtel-Dieu was often overcrowded and understaffed.
During the outbreak of the Black Death in Paris, the hospital became the focal point of the epidemic. What took place inside is a tale of heroism and tragedy that continues to reverberate throughout the ages. Groups of nuns (called sisters) ran the hospital throughout the depths of the plague at the cost of their own health and lives.
Why did these women risk it all when others wouldn’t? Why were women caught in the crossfire? Where were the men?
The Hospital Sisters of Hôtel-Dieu and Malestroit
The Hospital Sisters of Hôtel-Dieu and Malestroit were a group of nuns in the order of St. Augustine. They had been a part of the Hôtel-Dieu since at…
