La Petite France

Petite France is a historic district located on the Grande Île and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988
It takes its name from the so-called hospice des vérolés, built at the end of the 15th century to accommodate patients with venereal diseases contracted by mercenaries of the various kings of France during the Italian wars. This is how the inhabitants of the time began to call the area “Französel”, or “the little Frenchwoman”.

The half-timbered houses - colombages - with their characteristic exposed wooden frames were the homes of fishermen and hairdressers.

The district was completely damaged during the Second World War, at the end of which the city undertook a policy of faithful reconstructionRead more