Founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin for the poor of Beaune, the Hospices de Beaune is one of the best preserved buildings from the 15th century. In 1443 the Hundreds Year Old War was just ending and most of the population was in dire needs after war and plague. So the hospital was built and its first patient was taken in 1452, continuing to this day in a modern building. This building is now part of Burgundy culture because of the many benefactors contributing wine, artwork and money for their gratitude.
It was most likely built by Flemish and French masons, painters, and glass cutters. What really stands out is its famous polychrome roof which is probably influenced from Central Europe or most notably Hungary. I certainly have never seen a roof in France like this and apparently this became the go-to style for Burgundy during this time. In nearby Dijon, there are similar roofs with patterns like this one.
It’s beautiful regardless and the current roof has tiles dating back from the early 1900’s. So not everything is original but the beautiful space inside is. I went on a group tour and today it’s a re-created museum of what life was like. On the group tour you view the grand hall for the poor, the hospital church, the kitchen the courtyard, old rooms dedicated to artifacts now, the pharmacy, rooms storing art and the wine cellars. All beautifully restored to their Middle Age glory.
But why is it important? Well it turns out that this building is one of the best examples of 15th century French and Flemish architecture and there is a lot to learn from a building that has survived basically unscathed from the Middle Ages. It was first ran by nuns who relied mostly on charity from the surrounding region. The hospital became crowded at one point and it was said that as much as three people had to fit in one bed! Wealthier patients had their own space and bed.
Water was taken from a stream that flowed underneath the hospital, a real convenience in its day. Today the water still flows underneath but the museum has covered up the well with a transparent glass cover. For me I thought this was a unique and very useful invention for a hospital. It was amazing to see the water is still flowing and the techniques were kept in use even if the Hospices de Beaune is now a museum.
One of my favorite rooms was the apothecary room. This room was vital because it held up to 13o pots of different herbs, ointments, oils, pills and syrups. It’s where all the nuns would prepare the remedies to try and help whatever ailment the patients were suffering from. Today the room still hold the pots, protected with a plate of glass from the outside world.
Now I don’t think our tour got to do this but there is an ancient medieval wine cellar underneath the hospital. The owners of the Hospices de Beaune are the owners of a nearby 60 hectares vineyard thanks to many donations to the Hospices since the Middle Ages. Even today the wine produced propels the museums, the region of Burgundy, charities, and religious functions.
Beaune is a relatively unheard part of France but if you’re stopping to nearby Dijon, which is absolutely beautiful as well, then you might as well head over to Beaune. I spent 2 days in this region and that was a great start to get acquainted with Burgundy and the ancient history this region stores. I can’t wait to come back and explore more.
images by: shawnvoyage
