The Quill and the Scalpel: Studying Medicine in Montpellier During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

Date: September 5–November 9, 2012
Hours:Monday–Friday, 1:00 PM–5:30 PM / Thursdays until 8:00 PM
Open on the weekend of September 15–16 from 9:30 AM–12:30 PM and 2:00 PM–5:30 PM (European Heritage Days).
Closed November 1 and 2
Location:University Medical Library / Exhibition Halls
2, rue de l’Ecole de Médecine
34000 Montpellier

Poster
Catalog
The exhibition catalog has been published:The Pen and the Scalpel: Studying Medicine in Montpellier in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, 2012, 74 pages, €8

What was it like to study medicine in the Middle Ages? How did the Montpellier School of Medicine develop and earn its reputation? What was daily life like for medical students? Why are anatomy and botany so important in Montpellier?

The exhibition “The Quill and the Scalpel” sought to answer these and many other questions through a journey through the rich historical collections of the university medical library. From the founding of the School in the early^{13th century}to the establishment of France’s first botanical garden in the late^{16th century}, the exhibition featured illuminated manuscripts depicting dissections, instruments, or surgical procedures; texts by ancient, Arab, and Montpellier physicians that formed the basis of medical education; works dating from the early days of printing and the^{16th century}, richly illustrated with anatomical and botanical plates; registers and archival documents evoking student life, as well as objects and engravings.

The documents on display also provided an opportunity to learn more about the famous doctors and surgeons who have left their mark on the city today: Arnaud de Villeneuve, Bernard de Gordon, Gui de Chauliac, Guillaume Rondelet… not to mention one of the faculty’s most illustrious students, François Rabelais.

Designed for a wide audience, this exceptional exhibition of rarely seen documents highlighted the rich medical heritage of the University and the city of Montpellier.

Photo credits: University of Montpellier / SCDI Montpellier – Photography Department