Medieval Leprosarium

Timeline

1. 1001–1100France · FranceAs leprosy worsened in 11th-century Europe, the church and local nobles began establishing dedicated compounds outside towns, isolating lepers from the community and providing basic care and religious rites, forming the prototype of the leprosarium system.
2. 1101–1300England · United KingdomIn the 12th–13th centuries, the number of leprosaria in England, France and elsewhere surged; the church issued regulations defining leper status and conditions for admission and departure; compounds typically included a chapel, wards and workshops, with patients doing simple labor to sustain the institution.
3. 1210–1220Paris · FranceAround 1210–1220, Paris and its surroundings still maintained an active network of leprosaria; the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) reaffirmed the church's duty of care toward lepers, promoting the institutional consolidation of Western European leprosy isolation at religious and municipal levels.