“A children’s hospital? Right here?” you might ask, surprised. You are standing right in front of Rue des Potagers. It’s hard to imagine now, but this unassuming street in Nanterre was once home to a rather unique institution: the Hôpital des Enfants Rouges. This hospital, taking in orphans during the monarchy, stood at the corner of Rue des Potagers and Rue Portefoin.
Sadly, the hospital for orphans was closed under Louis XV, later becoming a hospital for foundlings before its closure and dismantling. While the building is gone, the name “Enfants Rouges” lives on. It now graces one of the oldest local markets in the area, a testament to the street’s history of compassion and care.