Salve Mater Sanatorium was a psychiatric hospital in Belgium, set up by the Sisters of Mercy to treat only women. The hospital closed in 1997 was used by an artist.
Salve Mater Psychiatric Hospital History
Salve Mater was a psychiatric centre for women. Set up by the ‘Sisters of Mercy’, the hospital was built on lands owned by the counts of Spoelberghopened and was opened in 1927 by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium.
The hospital is set within parkland which was landscaped as an English scenic garden. The park was protected by the Administration of Monuments and Landscapes due to its rich collection of trees and plants, however the land has now been neglected for some time.
The central building held the psychiatric clinic’s administrative offices and the sisters’ convent until it’s closure in 1997. Some of the other buildings were still in use until 2007. Artist and Photographer Pascal Baetens used the administration building as his studio and gallery.
This location has now been renovated
Renovation works have been taking place at Salve Mater and many of the buildings are now family homes.
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