Cour d’Honneur

St. Peter's Cathedral: A University Chapel Turned Fortress

The university building is closely linked to Saint-Pierre Cathedral, since the original church (Saint-Benoît Church) was built at the same time as the monastic college and was integrated into a cohesive complex.  Originally a university church (students protected by the charter of Urban V in Montpellier—including medical students—were required to attend daily services), it became Montpellier’s cathedral when the bishopric was transferred there in the early^16th century.
During the Wars of Religion, the cathedral sustained heavy damage. Protestants looted and ransacked it, leaving it in ruins for nearly a century. It was not until the^17th century that the bishops undertook its reconstruction, adding architectural elements such as new windows and additional stories.
Today, the cathedral retains its imposing character with its original monumental portal, which suggests that Urban V wished to leave behind a significant work. Although this portal serves no real defensive purpose, it adds to the building’s impressive aura.

Fun Facts

Choretto / Cloister Gallery

Its four medieval arches are inspired by the remains of the former cloister that ran around the Saint Benoît College on two levels. Dissections were performed there when the Faculty was established during the Revolution, before it was reassigned to the cathedral in 1823!

Explore the six architectural periods spanning six centuries

• Southern Gothic style: the courtyard walls and the narrow windows topped with a three-semicircle (trefoil) arch date from^{the 14th} century, as do the oldest part of the cathedral (St. Benedict Church, then the abbey church of the St. Benedict-St. Germain College) and its four square towers, one of which, the Urbain V Tower, adjacent to the Faculty’s assembly hall, remained intact after the Protestant siege of 1567. Above the roof of the lecture hall—which was rebuilt starting in^{the 17th} century—one can see, when standing on the exterior steps of the theatrum anatomicum, alcoves corresponding to the former student rooms (the wing of the building on Rue École de Médecine was dedicated to students when it served as a college).
• Neo-Gothic style: the cathedral’s nave and rose window were built between 1855 and 1875! Note the variation in the color of the stones. The tiles are rather out of place for southern France, since they are glazed and are more typical of the architecture of the Hospices de Beaune!
• Neoclassical style: the Theatrum Anatomicum, begun in 1802 and inaugurated in 1806—one could easily imagine that it pays homage to ancient Greek medicine!
• Classic style: The large, rectangular Italian-style windows were cut into the walls in^{the 17th and 18th centuries}, when the bishops restored the building, which had been severely damaged by the Wars of Religion. One notices the sense of openness and light compared to the medieval windows—some of which still remain on various levels—which also helps illustrate the modifications made on the different floor levels.
• Recent additions: of note are the grand grand staircase built in the second half of^{the 19th century}, and a newer section constructed between the late^19th and early^{20th centuries} at the left corner of the theatrum, where it meets the building’s west wing, housing the laboratories of a brand-new medical discipline emerging at that time: histology (the study of tissues, along with its pathological counterpart: pathological anatomy, or “anapath”)

The Transformation After the Revolution: From College to School of Medicine

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 School of Health, founded in 1794 (which served as a bridge between the former medical university and the future school of medicine). This transfer was symbolic, as it marked a return to the site’s original academic purpose: that of a college. Nevertheless, since the bishop was the supreme head of the universities—in a sense equivalent to today’s academic rector (hierarchically above university chancellors and deans)—the bishop’s residence could be considered somewhat like today’s university administration office! As such, it was regularly visited by members of the university community throughout the academic year as a matter of protocol.

The renowned chemist and politician Jean-Antoine Chaptal, who played a key role in the reorganization of institutions under Bonaparte, facilitated this transformation. Chaptal was also the driving force behind numerous industrial and educational reforms. His portrait hangs in the Salle des Actes, and his bust is displayed in the center beneath the pronaos of the theatrum.