The plaza

The Montpellier Faculty of Medicine, the oldest medical school in the world: a legacy preserved

Founded on August 17, 1220, the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier is the world’s first medical university established under official legal statutes.

Montpellier is also the only one to have remained in continuous operation, even during the most turbulent periods of its history, such as the Wars of Religion, the French Revolution, and the German occupation.

During the Revolution, when all French universities were closed between 1792 and 1794, the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier managed to continue its operations thanks to support from the city government, which made up for the loss of royal funding.

The Faculty Archives, together with the Hérault Departmental Archives, preserve several authenticated historical copies (13th–15th centuries) of the statutes of 1220, thereby attesting to the long history and continuity of this institution. These statutes, drafted under the auspices of Pope Honorius III, provide students and faculty with a solid legal framework, foreshadowing what would later become the modern university system: the student is clearly recognized therein as a user protected by law!

The statues of Barthez and Lapeyronie: symbols of medicine and surgery in Montpellier

Riddle: Without looking at the inscriptions on the statues’ bases, figure out which of the two statues represents the surgeon!

Built in 1742 along with the bridge, the entrance has been flanked since 1864 by statues depicting iconic figures from the Faculty in the^18th century.

Lapeyronie, chief surgeon at the Hôtel Dieu Saint Eloi in Montpellier, would become the personal surgeon to King Louis XV. He would bring about the formal separation of barbers from surgeons. By founding the Royal Academy of Surgery, Lapeyronie helped establish surgery as an academic profession, bringing it closer to medicine.

Barthez was a physician and philosopher of the Enlightenment. He developed the theory of vitalism, a neo-Hippocratic doctrine that sought to bridge the gap between ancient Greek medicine and the new sciences applied to medicine (chemistry, physics, biology, etc.). This doctrine views the human being as a whole, in all its dimensions (anatomical, physiological, and sensory). Like Hippocrates, it also situates the human being within their natural environment. The proximity of the School of Medicine to the botanical garden makes perfect sense!

To bring together Dr. Lapeyronie, the surgeon, and Dr. Barthez, the physician, is to inextricably link practice and theory. One cannot exist without the other: a word of warning to our student community!

Historically, this also brought surgeons and physicians closer together, a trend that would be cemented during the Revolution: surgeons and physicians would become students of the same school. And it was during the Revolution that the Faculty of Medicine moved from its former premises at the Royal College of Medicine (now the Panacée) to the historic building it occupies today, right here before you.

Saint Benoît College: one of the oldest surviving university buildings in Europe

This medieval building was inaugurated by Pope Urban V in 1367. It was originally a college for students of law and theology: the College of Saints Benedict and Germain. The building that runs along Rue de l’École de Médecine and faces you was the wing reserved for students.

Today, it extends to the left toward the Jardin des Plantes, thanks to an addition built in 1850 that echoes the college’s silhouette. This addition, which houses the anatomy museum, was built on the very site of the city walls, known as “la commune clôture,” of which the Tour des Pins—visible from the boulevard—is one of the few remaining vestiges.

The school’s proximity to the city walls explains its defensive appearance. It was built after the Black Death, during the Hundred Years’ War. At the time, the region was under constant threat from mercenary bands that ravaged the countryside and threatened the towns.

This building is the brainchild of Urban V, a former student and law professor at the University of Montpellier, who sought to bring students back to Europe’s cities. The colleges were, in effect, student residences—the university housing of the Middle Ages. Less affluent students found shelter, food, and lodging there, as well as study rooms and a library.

Inside the building, two other sections were reserved for abbots and Benedictine monks. The adjoining church was part of the complex. This abbey church (or collegiate church) served as the church for the students of Montpellier who were under the protection of the pope’s foundation. Medical students who were housed in another college (the College of the Twelve Physicians, or College of Mende, also built at the request of Urban V in the physicians’ quarter two streets away) were required to attend services in this church. The two colleges (Saint Benoît and the College of the Twelve Physicians) were interconnected.

The church was elevated to the status of a cathedral in 1536, following the transfer of the bishopric of Maguelone to the College of Saint Benoît.

During the Renaissance and up until the Revolution, the College of Saint Benoît served as the bishop’s palace, the residence of the Bishop of Montpellier. Nevertheless, there was no complete break with the site’s academic history. In fact, up until the Revolution, the bishop represented the supreme legal authority over the chancellors and deans of the universities. He received the faculty in this building throughout the academic year and awarded diplomas to the students!

The Sundial and Hippocrates’ Inscription: A Reflection on Time and the Art of Medicine

Near the statues of Barthez and Lapeyronie stands a sundial bearing an inscription in ancient Greek, a famous quote from Hippocrates: H TEXNH MAKPH (Ê teknê makrê) “The art is long,” part of Hippocrates’ first aphorism (Life is short, the art is long, the opportunity fleeting, experience deceptive, and judgment difficult).

The sundial is not only a symbol of the relationship to time in the practice of medicine (a healthcare provider’s ethics develop over the course of a lifetime), but it also serves as a reminder of the importance of continuing education—a principle now enshrined in the medical code of ethics, which requires physicians to pursue professional development throughout their careers.

The rod of Asclepius adorning the top of the entrance

It is the symbol of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine (known as Aesculapius to the Romans): a gnarled wooden staff with a single snake coiled around it. The staff symbolizes humility and old age, and thus wisdom (echoing Hippocrates’ first aphorism: “The art is long…”).

The snake is also a symbol of longevity, and through the process of shedding its skin, it symbolizes regeneration and self-healing. It embodies a profound Hippocratic philosophy: according to the body’s natural balance—the source of health—the Hippocratic physician does not cure; rather, he helps nature maintain balance (through prevention via exercise and diet) or restore balance (through treatment).

Not to be confused with the “caduceus,” a luxurious scepter topped with two wings and wrapped by a pair of snakes coiled in opposite directions: it is the attribute of Hermes, messenger of the gods, but also god of thieves and merchants! The confusion stems from the fact that some countries have adopted it as a symbol of medicine due to confusion with the staff of Asclepius…