Hotel Dieu

An ancient shelter for pilgrims along the Via Francigena

The Hotel Dieu or Maison Dieu is located in the center of the village, along what was once the ancient "Monginevro road", then the "Roman road of the Gauls", and finally (with the crossing of the Upper Valley of Dora to Dauphiné in the 12th century) the "Road of France", one of the most important transalpine routes of medieval Europe, traveled by carriages, horses, knights, notables, religious figures, merchants, and pilgrims.

Upon reaching Salbertrand, all travelers could quench their thirst by drawing water that flowed abundantly from two large wooden fountains (later rebuilt in stone in the years 1524 and 1525), but there was diversity in choosing a place to stop and rest: some continued towards one of the great monasteries in the valley, some decided to stay in an inn, while poor wanderers found shelter in this Maison Dieu.

Like many others along the Road of France, it had arisen precisely for this purpose: to restore travelers with a hot meal and a bed for the night, and if sick, with a period of care; for the deceased, there were the traditional three days of wake before burial.

On the facade, traces of sixteenth-century frescoes were uncovered during the 2016 restoration: a piety scene and a depiction of Saint James, iconographically characterized by a wide-brimmed hat on which the pilgrim's emblematic shell towards the Atlantic Ocean is visible, leading us to the ancient path of faith that led eastward towards Rome and Jerusalem, and westward towards Santiago de Compostela.

Since the late 19th century, the Hotel Dieu and the adjacent stone fountain dated 1524 have been the subject of study and protection by the architect Alfredo D’Andrade, director of the Regional Office for the Conservation of Monuments in Piedmont and Liguria. In 1914, they were included in the list of "Buildings of significant monumental interest".

The ancient rectangular stone fountain, Fontana du Milieu, in Occitan Bachà du medierä, bears carved symbols of power among the decorations on the column capital of the water spout: a crenellated castle, a lily, a dolphin. Due to its grandeur and refinement, it is one of the most beautiful in the Upper Valley during the Dauphiné period, testifying to an unparalleled economic prosperity. It was reproduced and placed at the entrance of the Medieval Village of Valentino in Turin, during the Italian General Exhibition of 1884, based on a design by Alfredo D'Andrade.

The building, acquired in 2011 by the Management Body of the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Natural Park (manager of the Colombano Romean Eco-museum), is an important piece that ensures space for development in the heart of the village for various eco-museal activities.

The goal, over time, is to restore its ancient function by transforming it into a reception point: a place of welcome for modern travelers and pilgrims along the increasingly popular routes embraced by enthusiasts of "slow" and sustainable tourism along the Via Francigena and the Glorious Return of the Waldensians.

Since being acquired by the Eco-museum, the property has undergone several recovery and restoration interventions, which have allowed for the reconstruction of the roofing, the refurbishment of the facades, the restoration of the sixteenth-century fresco on the facade, partial structural consolidation, and the preparation of internal spaces (identified on the basement, ground, and raised floors) for touristic-exhibition eco-museal purposes.

In 2021/2022, thanks to funding from the 2014-2022 Rural Development Program of Piedmont (Measure 7.6.4) with the theme "Qualification interventions of typical landscape elements and rural architectural heritage" and the related call managed by the G.A.L. Escartons e Valli Valdesi s.r.l., the first eco-museal spaces were completed, achieving full usability of the exhibition spaces on the ground and raised floors, as well as the underground cellar area, where the ancient stone staircase was recovered, suggesting the level at which the village of Salbertrand was situated centuries ago.