Welcome to The Legendary Hospices Of Beaune!
First, check out those tiles on the roof: a unique nature of architecture in the Burgundy region of France – home to some of the world’s best wines, and a very unique slice of history.
The Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse located in the French town of Beaune.
Here’s some video of the interior courtyard when you enter:
We each got a small device to hold up at designated points to hear the history of this hospice.
It was founded in 1443 by the Chancellor of Burgundy Nicolas Rolin, as a hospital for the poor. As wikipedia notes:
“The original hospital building, the Hôtel-Dieu, one of the finest examples of fifteenth-century Burgundian architecture, has been turned into a museum that showcases the importance of this building.”
As beautiful as the courtyard is, once you step inside you are transported back to a completely different time.
This magnificent cathedral was turned into a hospital ward for sick children, who each had their own bed…
There was a chair for the Nurse to sit with the patient, as well as various water pots and pans for helping the patient.
Alex dutifully followed the tour, while I “jazzed” a bit and just wandered aimlessness as I am known to do.
When this “pop up hospital” opened, the area suffered from famine and the plague, so this hospital was able to save lives and provide a sanctuary for those who were suffering.
More facts from wikipedia:
“The Room of the Poor measures 50x14x16 meters. On the ceiling, the exposed painted frame is in an upside-down boat shape, and in each beam are sculpted caricatures of important inhabitants of Beaune. On the floor tiling are written Nicolas Rolin’s monogram and his motto “Seulle estoile” (my only star)referring to his wife, Guigone de Salins.”
Note that the beams across the ceiling are held in place by the carving of a horse’s head!
The room is furnished with two rows of curtained beds. The central area was set up with benches and tables for meals.
When you enter another building from the courtyard, you can see not only how the Nuns lived, but also how they cooked!
Every single day, more than 120 meals were made by the Nuns for staff and the patients…and that meant going outside a lot for water:
Again, note the incredible design on the roff – and of course while Alex was learning history, I was just “hanging out” with my standard selfie:
This was our first trip to the Burgundy region of France, and I will be sharing more of our adventures here:
I also shared our first time on the island of Sardinia, where we ran into a classic James Bond 007 set!
Click here for that story:
We also were greeted in Sardinia by a flaming welcome:
It was wild table side cooking and you can see what the flames were all about by clicking on my story here:
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If you enjoy these moments, please share on social media – and get ready for more European adventures….let me know if you’ve been to Burgundy!
Categories: Art, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
HI John, what a wonderful place to visit. I would love it. Terence also listens to the guided tour while I prefer to read the inscriptions and just look.
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We seem to be the same in that regard, Robbie! Thanks for commenting!
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A magnificent hospital! I loved the architecture and the roof. Thanks for your classic selfie, John. 😀
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Thank you for noticing!
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You’re welcome!
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this is utterly amazing! the details….
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We arrived in Burgundy expecting to do wine tasting…we had no idea this incredible piece of history was there to explore! Thankyou for reading!
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incredible pictures and stories loved it all thank you!!!!
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I haven’t been to Burgundy yet but I love the look of this amazing place. Looks like a great trip.
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A trip back in time! Wonderful! I would also wander around, perhaps aimlessly and enjoy the sights, while Bob would stop and listen to it all!
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Incredible history of a beautiful building. The roof and beams are spectacular. Do you know how much restoration was needed before it was turned into a museum? It is such an old building and seems in pristine condition. morin sounds like a very progressive and passionate man for the time, maybe he was a time traveller.
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You remind me of the time I took the kids to the coliseum in Nimes (it’s almost 2,000 years old!) and I see them studying the map and listening to the tour, so proud…until I realize they’re playing Pokémon Go!
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HA! Alex listened to every single stop on the tour…me, not so much!
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I do the same thing. As soon as we enter anything resembling a museum my ADD kicks in and I can’t concentrate on orderly learning>. I take pictures of sights and signs and fill in the gaps later 😊
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I half listen but am always thinking about things faster than the Narrator!
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My favourite thing about Burgundy is also my favourite red wine, Gevrey-Chambertin.
Sadly, it retails around £30 a bottle here, (more in a restaurant) so is a rare treat for me.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, we found the wine to be incredible of course and reasonable considering what it costs when it get to Los Angeles…far more reasonable that Bordeaux, a trip that I will be sharing soon as well! Thanks as always for reading!
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I like Bordeaux Claret, but prefer the heavier wines in Burgundy. I also found it reasonably priced in France, but we have taxes here that push the prices up by almost 30% on imported wines.
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