The former hospice houses a collection of paintings, tapestries, sculptures and porcelain from the region, creating the atmosphere of a 17th-century Flemish convent.
The hospice was founded in 1237, in the oldest part of Lille. It was commissioned by Jeanne, Countess of Flanders, within her own palace walls, and served as a hospice until the French Revolution. It remained in service until 1939, acting as an orphanage, a care home for the elderly and a hostel for pilgrims en route to Rome and Compostela.
Since 1962, the buildings have been transformed into a museum focusing on local history. The original wards and chapels are arranged around two courtyards and a medicinal garden, with temporary exhibitions held regularly in the former dormitories.