Montpellier

The fat Dominican priest, Herve Ponsot, (doctor of theologies and ex-director of the School of biblical studies and archaeology in Jerusalem,) led us in his sandles around the 1643 convent. Sacked during the revolution, their chapel has been renewed with paintings and Windows by Henri Dechanet / Henri Guerin. (No, I hadn't heard of them either.)

From its foundation in 985, the Seigneurs des Guilhems allowed anybody to teach medicine: meaning especially that Jews and Arabs were permitted to work. In 1220 the popes legate Cardinal Conrad obtained from Honorious III the blessing of his statutes for a school of medicine, which became a university in 1289 under Nicola's IV. Many of the teachers came from Salerno, the oldest school, and when it closed in 1811, Montpellier proudly took over as the longest existing one. Today they opened the anatomical museum, (no photos, lots of wax casts of gross body deformities,) and the ancient classroom for dissecting corpses.
The so called Arc de Triomphe (a finger raised to Parisians I suspect,) was built in 1692 as a gateway into the city. I would have climbed to the top lookout but it was pouring with rain so the guides closed it.
The drawing room, recreated in the museum Fabre, contained these unusual lamps. Never seen a vase urging its keep in this way. (OK, that's very light humour.)
The funny tower housing the old astronomy was similarly closed.
The only unusual part of the Cathedrale Saint Pierre (1364) that I could find are the 2 enormous pillars holding a completely useless portico over the front door.Read more