Beaune

 Each day on the Burgundy Canal has a half-day excursion.  One was to the city of Beaune.

Beaune is best known for the Hospices of Beaune.  It was established in 1443 by the chancellor of Burgundy as a hospital for the poor.  The chancellor and his wife wanted to improve their odds of going to heaven, so they funded the construction and operation of this distinctive building.

The elaborate polychrome roof is the element that has drawn tourists to Beaune over the centuries.

There are rows of beds, offering a simple but clean place for nuns to attend to the poor.  The Hospice remained a hospital until 1971, when patients were dispersed to conventional hospitals.