History of Medicine in Renaissance Florence
Visiting the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova is a great way to learn about medicine in Renaissance Florence. The Arcispedale di Santa Maria Nuova was founded in 1288 by Folco Portinari, the father of Beatrice, celebrated by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy. Beatrice’s wet nurse Monna Tessa persuaded the banker Folco to donate a large sum of money for the salvation of his soul from the flames of hell due to his usurious crimes. This immense sum was used to found a hospital to care for the poorest. The building is a distinguished monument of architecture, starting with the first ward of the ancient Hospital of Men, built between 1313 and 1315. It includes various cloisters and inner gardens; among these is the “Cloister of the Medicherie” (cloister of medications), constructed between 1418 and 1420. The Women’s Ward was established in 1656, occupying part of the Cloister of the Bones. Eventually, in 1873, the courtyard was converted into a Pantheon for the benefactors. In its undergrounds, a young Leonardo da Vinci performed anatomical dissections to study the human body. Actually, between 1502 and 1508, he dissected over 30 cadavers, getting to understand the functioning of may organs.
A tour of Santa Maria Nuova Hospital
Santa Maria Nuova preserves a collection of objects related to the hospital’s medical-pharmaceutical activity, with thousands of instruments from the 18th to the 20th century. The hospital’s historical and artistic heritage is laid out in a museum itinerary, which includes portraits of the Spedalinghi (the hospital directors) painted in the 16th and 17th centuries, a fresco depicting the inauguration of the hospital by Pope Martin V of the 15th century, ancient crucifixes, and some stone elements that were part of ancient furnishings and decorations. The liturgical life takes place in the Church of Sant’Egidio, a witness to over seven centuries of the artistic and spiritual life of the Santa Maria Nuova complex. In the past, the altar was decorated with the huge Portinari Tryptich, pained by Flamish artist Hugo van der Goes, today displayed at Uffizi Gallery.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s anatomical studies at Santa Maria Nuova
Amongst the great personalities who attended the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova we find Leonardo da Vinci. The hospital is famous for having hosted him during some of his anatomical dissections. In fact, he is known to have maintained contact with the institution throughout his life. Over the course of his life, Leonardo dissected more than 30 cadavers at Santa Maria Nuova. But where exactly? It is said that he conducted his dissections in the underground area of the Florentine hospital, in basins made of pietra serena (a type of sandstone typical from Florence), which still exist today beneath the hospital. Actually, these basins are commonly referred to as the “Leonardo’s basins,” but they are not accessible to visitors for safety reasons.Active for over 700 years without interruption, Santa Maria Nuova is amongst the oldest hospitals in the world still in operation, a true gem of Medicine in Renaissance Florence. Absolutely an off the beaten paths tours, which I warmly recommend to the ones who work in the medical field. Contact me to know more about this tour of Medicine in Renaissance Florence!
