Beaune has about 21,000 inhabitants and is one of the wine capitals of the world, but its charm and its variety of attractions make tourism an important element of its economy.

A medieval Franciscan monastery was cut in two during construction in the early part of the nineteenth century, but the part housing this carving remains. It tells the story of Adoration of the Magis.

As you'd expect from towns in France, charming outdoor cafés abound. It's hard to walk by them when tantalizing menus offer fine French food at even the most casual and affordable of establishments.

The Hôtel-Dieu, or Hospices de Beaune Hospital, is among the foremost attractions of Beaune. In 1443, a philanthropist built this hospital to house the poor and ill. The endowment provided not only care, but glorious artwork and a religious base. The chapel is integral to the dormitory, so that patients could take part in services without leaving their beds.

The first patients entered the hospice in December 1451; the last left in 1971. It remains in use as a retirement home, partly supported by its own vineyards and a world-famous annual wine auction.

This Christ-de-Pitié statue is one of two masterpieces housed in the Htel-Dieu. It is carved of wood, and is carved from a single block of thousand-year-old oak.

The other religious masterpiece is the Last Judgment Polyptych, a cleverly designed painting attributed to Roger Van der Weyden. Painted on both sides of wooden panels, its original location in the Great Hall was intended to ease the suffering of the patients.