To spot the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier, look for a building with some real old-school charm-think stone arches, a tall rectangular tower, and elegant, classical windows that hint at centuries of knowledge inside. If you're on Rue de l’École-de-Médecine, the historic heart of the faculty, you’ll see that iconic tower rising above its neighbors, like an ancient guardian. There might even be a big sign with blue lettering, just like you see in the image-“Faculté de Médecine”-so you know you’re in the right place!
You’re now standing in front of a place where history practically seeps from the stone-welcome to the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier! This spot isn’t just about medical textbooks and stethoscopes. Oh no, this is the oldest medical school in the Western world, created way back in 1220. Imagine that-while knights clanked around in armor, scholars were wandering these halls, arguing about the best way to fix a sore throat.
The faculty stretches across Montpellier and even has a twin in Nîmes, joining forces with huge hospitals to train future doctors, researchers, and the occasional hypochondriac. If you listen closely, you might almost hear whispers of ancient languages: Greek from age-old Hippocratic texts, and Arabic from when medical wisdom traveled through Al-Andalus before arriving in Europe.
Here, students once mixed ancient Greek knowledge with the latest science from the Arab world-talk about a medical mashup! The city’s location made it a crossroads, so the classrooms bustled with people from all over-travelers, merchants, and of course, would-be doctors. Rumor has it, one-third of the earliest famous doctors from Montpellier were Jewish, showing just how much this place buzzed with diverse ideas and talents.
By the way, Montpellier got so famous for medicine that, in 2020, they celebrated the faculty’s 800th birthday with a national postage stamp. Imagine squeezing eight whole centuries of medical breakthroughs on an envelope! Their motto is pretty cheeky: “Once, Hippocrates was from Kos. Now, he’s from Montpellier.” And with all this history, who’s to argue?
So as you stand here, picture medieval students poring over scrolls, the scent of herbs wafting from apothecaries, and debates echoing off ancient walls. If you feel any smarter just from standing nearby, don’t worry-it’s a common side effect!
Fascinated by the histoire, liste des doyen(ne)s de la faculté de médecine or the formation? Let's chat about it
