Hotel Dieu

This hospice was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin and his wife, Guigone de Salins, for the care of the sick and the poor. They also donated vineyards so that the almshouse could support itself with income. In this way, the Hospices de Beaune was established, from which the last patient left only in 1971.

At the time of its founding, there were many sick and poor due to the Hundred Years' War. The patients were cared for by nuns. From their beds in the Grande Salle des Malades, they had a view of the altar so that the sick could follow the church services. The triptych by Rogier van der Weyden was originally located in the same chapel as this altar. The decorative vault above the Grande Salle des Malades is shaped like a ship's hull. The crossbeams are painted and adorned with monsters at the ends. At the back of the hall stands a masterpiece, a large wooden sculpture from the fifteenth century called Christ de Pitié. The polychrome statue is more than life-sized. The immense hall is 50 meters long, 14 meters wide, and 16 meters high.

Wim Hak