The history of this institution dates back to the time of Napoleon, who designated the castle in which this 'asylum' was housed as the new location for the 'beggars' colony' of the then-department. Such a colony took in people living on the streets, without means of subsistence. In 1826, there were 236 people in the colony, most of whom were unable to work the land. They were 'blind, insane, lame, deformed, deaf, exhausted, or they had tuberculosis, epilepsy, or were vomiting blood'. The colony was a village within a village: all necessary trades were available. There was a farm and there was even its own fire brigade.

From 1920, the institution was transformed into a State Lunatic Asylum, which continued to function as an independent community. Shortly thereafter, a major renovation took place to meet new nursing needs. The asylum served for less severe cases. There was little actual treatment. In the mid-1960s, the institution became overcrowded, and construction of a new complex was initiated. The relocation started in the mid-1970s and lasted until the late 1980s. Some of the buildings that had stood empty since then have since been given a new purpose.