Description:

Apothicairerie de l'Hôtel Dieu, Baugé

Ancient Pharmacy, Hospital, Great Hall, Chapter-house, Refectory & Herb Garden

Just a short distance from the Chateau de Baugé can be found one of the finest 17th century apothecaries in France, adjacent to the Hôtel Dieu, an early hospital, dating from the same period.

This ancient hospital pharmacy was setup around 1675 and remained active until the 1940s. The apothecary and hospital contain more than 650 pieces of furniture and other items dating from the period of Louis XIII.

In the great hall of the Hôtel Dieu visitors gain a sense of the healing arts as practised in the 17th century and what daily life might have been like for patients and carers.

The pharmacy, panelled in oak from floor to ceiling, encapsulates the pharmacopoeia of the period and has a collection of more than 600 different containers, jars and pots in wood, glass or earthenware used to store medicines. Some of the containers amongst this bewildering collection are unique and date from much earlier times.

For nearly 300 years the pharmacy of Baugé was run by the Apothecary Sisters of the Community of St. Joseph’s Hospital (sœurs apothicaires de la communauté des hospitalières de Saint Joseph). Their knowledge, gleaned mainly from books, was transmitted by word of mouth down the generations. They were responsible for the procurement of drugs and preparations, and the sister pharmacists were also responsible for administering medicines to patients. Many of the tinctures will have been prepared using the herbs from the nearby herb garden which can also be visited.

To complete the tour visitors can see the chapter house and the refectory containing further collections tracing the history of medicine, healing and pharmacy and showing how patients were received into 17th century care.

Opening Times:

From 26 Feb to 13 Mar & From 16 Apr to 12 Jun 2011

From Wednesday to Sunday (Closed on Easter weekend & 23-25 Apr 2011)

14h-18h

From Jun 13 to Sep 11, 2011: Daily from 10h to 12h30 & 13h30 to 18h

Apothecary closed on Monday

From 12 Sep to Oct 2 2011: From Wednesday to Sunday 14h-18h

Christmas Market Baugé Castle open from 10h to 12h30 & from 13h30 to 18h

Address:

Château et apothicairerie de Baugé

Rue Anne de Melun, 49150 Baugé

Tel.: 02 41 84 00 74

Contact:

contact@chateau-bauge.fr

Web: Château et apothicairerie de Baugé

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