Nicolas Rolin grew fabulously wealthy as chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy. When he decided to buy his way into heaven in 1443, he did so with characteristic extravagance, building what he called a "palace for the poor." The Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune served as a working hospital for over five centuries, finally closing its wards in 1971.

Step into the courtyard and you understand Rolin's ambition immediately. The polychrome roof tiles, arranged in geometric patterns of red, brown, yellow and green, remain one of Burgundy's most distinctive sights. Inside, the 50-metre Salle des Pôvres allowed patients to attend Mass from their beds, while the ceiling beams above them featured carved caricatures of Beaune's prominent citizens.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours trace Rolin's legacy through the medieval streets of this wine capital, connecting the hospital to the famous November auction where its vineyard holdings still fund charitable care.