Hôtel-Dieu de Tournus, Historical hospital and museum in Tournus, France
The Hôtel-Dieu de Tournus is a 17th-century hospital housed in a large stone building containing three substantial halls and two chapels. The structure now functions as a museum displaying rooms that show how medical care operated in earlier times.
The building was constructed in the 17th century to house and provide medical care to the poor. One of France's oldest pharmacies was established here around 1685, demonstrating how medical treatment evolved through the use of medicines.
The name reflects the traditional role of providing shelter and care to the poor and sick. Inside, you see old pharmacy containers, medicines, and tools from different centuries that show how people were treated in the past.
The site is accessible to visitors during the warmer months, with opening hours that vary seasonally. Guided tours offer the best way to properly understand the old rooms and how they functioned.
The old pharmacy preserves a rare ophthalmological tool kit from the 2nd century that was recovered from the Saône River. This extraordinary find shows that specialized eye-care instruments were already being made in ancient times.
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