Cour d'Honneur

Saint-Pierre Cathedral: a university chapel turned fortress

The university building is closely linked to Saint-Pierre Cathedral, also built under the aegis of Urbain V. Initially a university church, it became Montpellier's cathedral when the bishopric was transferred in the early 16th century.
During the Wars of Religion, the cathedral suffered heavy damage. Protestants sacked and pillaged it, leaving it in ruins for almost a century. It wasn't until the 17th century that the bishops undertook its reconstruction, adding architectural features such as new windows and storeys.
Today, the cathedral retains its imposing character, with a monumental porch designed to impress and assert the power of the Church. Although the porch has no real defensive function, it adds to the building's military aura.
Trivia

The role of Europe's first university buildings

The Collège Saint-Benoît is one of the oldest university buildings still standing in France. Unlike the Sorbonne, whose original building was destroyed and rebuilt in the 19th century, this medieval building retains traces of its original architecture. This makes it a site of capital importance in French university history, with continuity of use since its foundation.
Other UNESCO-listed universities, such as Salamanca and Urbino, have buildings dating back to the Renaissance, but very few retain elements as old as those in Montpellier.

Student cells and academic comfort in the 14th century

A unique feature of this building is the presence of the former student cells. Above the roof of the Salle des Actes, you can still see remnants of the rooms once used by Collège Saint-
Benoît. These rooms were small cells organized into alcoves: one for sleeping, one for studying and one for storing personal belongings.
These cells bear witness to the first attempts to create university halls of residence in France. Urbain V designed these buildings to offer students a living environment conducive to study, with tutors, libraries and work spaces. It was one of the first times in French university history that such a concept was developed.
These residences were mainly reserved for law students, who benefited from scholarships or patronage from the Church. Medical students were housed in the Collège des Douze Médecins, just a few streets away.

The transformation after the Revolution: from college to medical school

After the French Revolution, the building underwent a major transformation. In 1795, with the confiscation of Church property, the former college was assigned to the new École de Santé, founded in 1794. This transfer was symbolic, as it marked a return to the original university vocation of the site, interrupted by the Bishop's takeover of the building during the Renaissance. Nevertheless, as the bishop was the supreme head of the universities, equivalent to today's rector (hierarchically above the chancellors (deans) of the University), the bishop's palace can be considered somewhat like the rector's palace today. As such, the bishop's palace was attended by the university community throughout the academic year.

The famous chemist and politician Jean-Antoine Chaptal, who played a key role in the reorganization of institutions under Napoleon, facilitated this transformation. Chaptal was also behind many industrial and educational reforms, and his portrait (usually located in the Salle des Actes) is currently on loan for an exhibition at the Hôtel Sabatier d'Espéran.

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