Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier

We promised to show you the must-sees, but how about something truly unique? The Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier is a real treasure — the oldest medical school in the Western world still in operation. Thousands of students have walked through its doors since it was founded, and in 2020, it proudly celebrated its 800th anniversary. It all began on August 17, 1220, when Cardinal Conrad of Urach, representing the pope, officially unified Montpellier’s medical schools under the name “universitas medicorum.” These schools had originally been created informally by Languedoc merchants who picked up medical knowledge during their travels in the East. Blending Jewish, Arabic, and Christian traditions, this new institution quickly became known for its high-quality teaching. Students studied Greek and Arabic medical texts, often in the homes of their instructors, and were free to choose both their teachers and their exam dates. In 1340, the school took a major leap forward with the launch of its prestigious anatomy course — making it one of the few in Europe to combine theory and practice at the time, alongside the great medical schools of Bologna and Padua. Over the centuries, many renowned figures studied or taught here: Arnaud de Villeneuve in the Middle Ages, Lapeyronie — royal surgeon and confidant of Louis XV — and Paul-Joseph Barthez, physician to Louis XVI, the Duke of Orléans, and Bonaparte. Statues of Lapeyronie and Barthez flank the entrance to the building. Even Nostradamus and François Rabelais were once enrolled — although Nostradamus was dismissed for disobedience! Since the French Revolution, the faculty has been housed in the former palace of the archbishops, where tradition and cutting-edge science now go hand in hand. Guided tours are available and reveal a remarkable collection: 11,000 anatomical specimens, hundreds of medieval manuscripts, 100,000 printed volumes, 1,000 original drawings by great masters like Rubens and Fragonard, and one of the oldest herbariums in France. A place of deep history and constant innovation — that’s what it takes to keep science moving forward!