Voir les disponibilités 
Hidden in one of the wings of Rochefort’s former naval hospital is a small treasure, a unique place in France that looks like it’s straight out of an old Hitchcock film: the museum of the former naval medical school. We took advantage of the weekend before Halloween for a goosebumps-inducing afternoon, which turned out to be surprisingly rich in scientific insights.
Like an adventure movie, let us set the scene. Imagine yourself in 1788, sixty-six years after the world’s first school of anatomy and surgery opened within the brand new maritime hospital, then the most modern in the Kingdom of France. After years of inadequate training, future naval surgeons are trained here. They test, cut, dissect… Conveniently, students have a large number of cadavers at their disposal, mainly the bodies of convicts who died during forced labor in the Rochefort Arsenal… End of historical interlude. Can you feel the shivers from the past?
Fast forward to 2018… we arrive at the museum on a rainy day. The maritime hospital right next door is now largely disused, which only adds to the dramatic atmosphere of the place. ‘Oooooh, could that be the ghost of a convict lurking around us?’ We learn that a rehabilitation project is underway. And seeing the grandeur of this building, classified as a Historic Monument, we imagine it will become a magnificent spot, very close to the center of Rochefort.
On the verge of a heart attack, we rush into the museum’s reception. And to our pleasant surprise, we’re greeted not by a zombie, but by the museum’s charming team. In fact, the site holds the ‘Qualité Tourisme’ (Tourism Quality) State Label, just like many campsites in Charente-Maritime. And it’s well known that a quality label is rarely awarded to a team of torturers. Phew!
As Soon as We Arrive, We Immediately Feel that this Place is Special
‘Hey Nicolas, the guided tour is starting!’ My friend just brought me back to reality. I was lost in thought, imagining myself dancing with the monsters from Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ music video. The visit to this little-known Rochefort museum is not self-guided but exclusively guided, which is absolutely essential to fully grasp the school’s history, its context, and to properly interpret what we’re about to see. The tour is also not recommended for sensitive individuals, although it is primarily an educational space for science and anatomy.
After a quick overview of Rochefort’s history in the ‘deed room,’ our captivating guide informs us that it was once the cadaver dissection room… Strangely, we no longer look at the room in the same way! The visit continues, with a lump in our throats. The pleasant surprise is the incredible variety of this scientific collection. Indeed, naval surgeons were primarily scholars who embarked on world tours as botanists, zoologists, anthropologists… These explorers were thus able to bring back to Rochefort art pieces of great historical value.
We then arrive in the incredible library, boasting 25,000 medical, philosophical, and travel books. The guide opens some priceless volumes, showing us anatomical sketches and handwritten world maps. Beyond their scientific interest, these drawings are remarkably precise, true works of art. I then venture, ‘It’s not scary at all, actually.’ ‘Just wait, things get interesting on the next floor,’ our expert teases. It’s time to gulp and wipe your brow.
The Cabinet of Sciences: an Invaluable Treasure for the History of Medicine
So, with a mix of anxiety and excitement, we climb one floor to reach the ‘Cabinet of Sciences.’ And indeed, the sight is, how can I describe it… mind-blowing! Awaiting us are skulls and skeletons of all kinds, presentations of teratology studies (the study of… monstrosities!), a display of wooden legs, neurology panels… not to mention the delightful 600 tools (of torture?) that represent the surgical instruments of the era!
In short, we might be exaggerating a little, but the visit to this museum is simply incredible. It’s a unique place in France that tells the grand story of surgery and the centuries of progress made in understanding the human body. In Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, a chapter of our modern medicine unfolds here. We listen with pleasure and attention as our guide explains the, sometimes outlandish, theories of the era (like phrenology). The visit is captivating, and for a while, we’re swallowed up in a space-time warp, worthy of great science fiction films.
‘We’re alive!!!’ we could cry out upon leaving the museum of the former naval medical school. Yet, this visit made us eager to learn more about the history of Rochefort. So, motivated, we embark on a new adventure by visiting the Naval Museum, just a few meters from the Hermione, on the banks of the Charente.
Halloween or not, scaredy-cats or not, this museum is well worth the trip. It’s a genuine scientific experience, far from the ‘horror museum’ image that some carelessly try to convey. We highly recommend this visit to all our camper friends staying in Charente-Maritime. Don’t forget to book before you arrive. Ooooooh…
