One of The Oldest Hospitals in the World Still in Use: Santa Maria Nuova in Florence

Florence has another claim to fame: one of the oldest hospitals in the world still in use. Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, located in the historic center of Florence, was inaugurated in 1288 and has been providing healthcare services to the people of Florence for over 700 years.

One of The oldest hospitals in the world still in use

One of the oldest hospitals in the world still in use is Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova. It has undergone various renovations over the centuries, but still retains its artistic appearance, which has been a reference point for several Renaissance artists.

The hospital Santa Maria Nuova owes its existence to Folco Portinari, who envisioned a hospital for the care of the “poor sick” around 1285. The area where the hospital was built was already undergoing urbanization, as the walls that passed through the land that would later become Via Bufalini and Sant’Egidio had been demolished.

The first patients

The hospital’s first patients were admitted in 1288 to some small houses near an oratory with a small convent belonging to the Saccati friars, an already abandoned order. The institution was soon a success, both socially and economically, and consequently, politically.

The area chosen by Folco was an ideal productive area as there were many artisans and activities related to the art of wool. With the complete annexation of the Saccati convent and land – which occurred between 1296 and 1312 – the Portinari family (Folco died less than a year after the inauguration) began building the new hospital.

The male ward was built in 1313-’15, and around 1320, the female ward was transferred to a new building located at the corner of Via della Fogna, which, due to the presence of the healthcare and charity institution, would take on the name Via delle Pappe (today Folco Portinari).

In 1341, the second male area was built in the form of a “reverse seven” towards Via della Pergola. With the plague of 1348 (thanks to many donations), it was possible to expand the female hospital to Via dell’Oriuolo.

Between 1401 and 1408, the first stretch of the male ward was built in front of the one built on Via della Pergola. The expansion would be completed around 1479. Finally, in 1574, the hospital took on the form of a cross with the construction of the last arm.

In addition to the expansion works, the most important of the fifteenth century was the construction of three main cloisters in 1418, which can still be seen today: the ossuary courtyard (now cortile Galli Tassi), the Medicherie, and the Samaritana.

From that time on, Santa Maria Nuova would always be a construction site, which would distinguish it at least until the twentieth century.

Video

Below is a video in Italian about the hospital Santa Maria Nuova:

Santa Maria Nuova Hospital has a rich history that spans centuries and is a testament to the evolution of healthcare in Italy. It has been a place of healing for generations of Florentines and is a symbol of the city’s resilience and enduring spirit.