Teaching Medicine in Montpellier : a 900-year-long story

The oldest School of Medicine in the Western World

In 2020, the Faculté de Médecine de Montpellier celebrates its 800^th birthday. Indeed, it was founded in 1220, as attested by statute of the Montpellier Medical University drew by Cardinal Conrad d'Urach, Legate of Pope Honorius III. However, medical education has been offered in Montpellier since the beginning of the 12^th century. From that date, the Montpellier School of Medicine never stopped to be active, even during the deadly Black Death pandemic in the 14^th century, the European wars of religion in the 16^th century, the 10 years of the French Revolution (1789-1799), and the two World Wars in the 20^th century.

Of course, teaching changed during the centuries, and several doctrines were developed with various fates. Yet, the Montpellier Medical School has shown an exceptional adaptive capacity and a remarkable ability to integrate many different contributions, concepts and innovations, while preserving its long-lasting Hippocratic tradition.

This truly unique history that confers to the Montpellier School of Medicine an unrivalled prestige around the world is brightly described and illustrated in this book.