Ospedale Maggiore

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Building information
Ospedale Maggiore
The courtyard of the Ospedale Maggiore.
Town	Milan
Country	Italy
Architect	Antonio Filarete
Construction start date	April, 1456

The Ospedale Maggiore, traditionally named Ca' Granda (i.e. Big House), is a building in the center of Milan constructed to house one of the first community hospitals, the largest such undertaking of the fifteenth century. Commissioned by Francesco Sforza in 1456 and designed by Antonio Filarete it is among the first examples of Renaissance architecture in Lombardy.

1 History
2 Architecture
3 Structure
4 Alterations
5 Demolition
6 Historical medical landmarks in the Ca' Granda
7 Resources

[edit] History

[edit] Architecture

[edit] Structure

[edit] Alterations

[edit] Demolition

[edit] Historical medical landmarks in the Ca' Granda

Even if the old buildings of the Ospedale Maggiore host today the State University of Milan, you can still find in it – apart from the beautiful original architecture - some of the “relics” of its glorious medical and sanitary history.

Memorial tablet of the Hospital foundation. Francesco Sforza founded this hospital in 1456 “AD SUSTENTANDOS CHRISTI PAUPERES” (for the sustenance of Christ’s poors). You can see the tablet on the portal that today give access to the University Law Library, under the right arcades of the central courtyard.

the right arcades of the main courtyard

the portal with the foundation tablet

the foundation tablet

Memorial tablet of Saint Camillus de Lellis. Saint Camillus de Lellis spent some time nursing the patients of this hospital as recorded by the stone tablet on a portal, near the entrance to the central Church of the Annunziata (ten meters to the right), in the central courtyard. On the tablet, with some difficulty, you can read the following inscription: “SAN CAMILLO DE LELLIS 1550-1614 / INFERMIERE NELLA CROCIERA DI QUESTA ANTICA CA GRANDA / CON LA PAROLA E L’ESEMPIO / INSEGNO’ A SERVIRE I MALATI E AD AMARLI / ‘CON QUELL’AFFETTO CHE SUOL UNA AMOREVOLE MADRE / AL SUO UNICO FIGLIUOLO INFERMO’ / NEL 4° CENTENARIO – 16-4-1983”.

the arcades with the Church of the Annunziata

the portal with the memorial tablet

the memorial tablet of Saint Camillus

Luigi Mangiagalli’s Statue. Just passed the main entrance to the Ca’ Granda, on the left, you can see the big bronze statue of Luigi Mangiagalli (1849-1928), famous italian obstetrician and gynaecologist, mayor of Milan (1922) and founder of the State University of the town (1923). On the pedestal of the statue, you can read the following inscription: “LUIGI / MANGIAGALLI / UMANISTA / MEDICO E FILANTROPO / CREO’ L’UNIVERSITA’ / DI MILANO / VOLLE PIU’ GRANDE LA / METROPOLI LOMBARDA. / I MILANESI”.