Council Chamber
The Salle du Conseil: a place of memory and university tradition
The Salle du Conseil at Montpellier's Faculty of Medicine is an emblematic place, combining history and academic tradition.
This hall has not always been dedicated to university administration. Originally, it was part of the former residence of the bishops of Montpellier.
It may have served as a conclave hall, where bishops held important meetings. Some have speculated that it was once a music salon, due to the decorations depicting musical instruments above the fireplace. However, it is more likely that this room was used for important deliberations rather than musical events.
The pastoral scenes and agrarian instruments in the decorations are typical of the Louis XVI style.
Today, this room is used for Faculty Council meetings, where important decisions concerning the governance of the institution are taken.
The many portraits, busts and decorations recall the great figures in the history of Montpellier medicine.
Continuity of medical education: a powerful symbol
One of the first ideas evoked in this room is the uninterrupted continuity of medical teaching in Montpellier, unlike other disciplines such as law. During the French Revolution, although the teaching of law was suspended for over 80 years, the Faculté de Médecine continued to function, even during the difficult years of 1793-1794. This continuity enabled Montpellier to preserve its academic traditions, notably the wearing of university costumes, such as the camail, a pèlerine symbolizing the status of professors.
In the case of jurists, the resumption of teaching in 1880 was accompanied by an attempt to restore certain traditions, but without succeeding in maintaining them with the same rigor as those of doctors. Nonetheless, the Faculty of Law has been carrying out a substantial heritage project for several years now, and the camail has recently been re-adopted as part of this continuity.
The bust of Jacques Mathieu Delpech: a tragic figure in Montpellier surgery
This room features a bust of Jacques Mathieu Delpech, an eminent 19th-century surgeon renowned for his contributions to cosmetic surgery and the prevention of nosocomial infections (post-operative infections). Delpech is considered a pioneer of rhinoplasty, a major advance for his time.
However, his career came to a tragic end when he was murdered by one of his former patients in 1832. This patient, suffering from paranoia, accused Delpech of violating medical secrecy by revealing that he could no longer have children after an operation. This accusation was totally unfounded, and Delpech was known for his respect for ethical rules. However, the patient, who had already been convicted of violent acts in the past, killed him with a shotgun.
The bust of Delpech in the Salle du Conseil recalls this tragic event, but above all his contribution to modern surgery. A statue of Delpech also stands in the grounds of Hôpital Saint-Éloi, in tribute to his work there.
Lapeyronie's painting: a transition from surgery to medicine
Another major figure represented in this room is François Gigot de Lapeyronie (1678-1747). A renowned surgeon from Montpellier, Lapeyronie founded the Royal Academy of Surgery and was Louis XV's first surgeon. In his painting, he is depicted in civil costume, with the red physician's robe at his side, even though he was originally a surgeon. This detail symbolizes the period when surgeons were gradually achieving the same status as physicians, marking a major evolution in the recognition of surgery as a science in its own right.
The painting thus illustrates the rise in prestige of surgery within medicine, a process that Lapeyronie helped to reinforce through his actions and influence. He was also the founder of the Collège royal de chirurgie de Montpellier, located in the Hôtel Saint-Côme, which was an exclusive teaching center for surgeons until the French Revolution.
