Rolin stones

Nicolas Rolin made himself very rich as Chancellor of the Exchequer to Duke Philip the Good.
His manor wasn't in too good a shape after the Hundred Years War and the people of Beaune were starving and destitute; plus the Plague had broken out in the countryside.
So, prompted by his wife Guigone de Salins, he founded the Hôtel-Dieu or Hospice de Beaune in 1443 together with a religious order of nuns, "Les sœurs hospitalières de Beaune". The hospital continued serving patients until the late 1970s. Since then it has been restored to nearly the original condition.
One special exhibit in the pharmacy is the bow attached to the pestle. There is only one other known example of this device. Since the pestle weighs 6 kg, and was constantly in use preparing concoctions, one can understand why such a spring-loaded assistance was more than a luxury for the nuns.Read more