Ospedale Di Santo Spirito In Sassia
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The Hospital of the Holy Spirit () is the oldest
hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
in
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, located in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It now serves as a convention center. The complex lies in
rione A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of (). Formed a ...
Borgo, east of
Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
and next to the modern Ospedale di Santo Spirito (which continues its tradition). The hospital was established on the site of the former ''Schola Saxonum'', a part of the complex houses the Museo Storico.


Premise


Christian brotherhood

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
gave rise to a new
philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
feeling in men, as evidenced by the words of
Tertullian Tertullian (; ; 155 – 220 AD) was a prolific Early Christianity, early Christian author from Roman Carthage, Carthage in the Africa (Roman province), Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive co ...
; "We are like brothers by right of nature, our common Mother". Tertullian himself railes against the pagans and their way of treating the sick, mostly left to their ungrateful fate. It is reasonable, therefore, to attribute the birth of hospitals to the push given by Christianity which, even in the darkness of the
Catacombs Catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. Any chamber used as a burial place is considered a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etym ...
, did not fail to "be towards the most needy". And so the feeling of love, charity, piety and concern for the sick received a healthy and lively impulse with the change of perspective offered by the Christian religion. This feeling finally turned into practice in 325 AD with the
First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea ( ; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council of Nicaea met from May until the end of July 325. This ec ...
in
Bithynia Bithynia (; ) was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast a ...
where the 300 or more of bishops gathered there established that "in every city houses called Xenodochi and hospices for pilgrims should be built, for the poor and for the sick." These dwellings were entrusted to the bishops of the various dioceses: each of them was considered "father of the poor" and in this regard we find in the ''Apostolic Constitutions'' "O bishop, take care of the poor, as a minister of God, distributing to everyone the necessary time, to widows, orphans, derelicts, the sick and the unfortunate". After the First Council of Nicaea the Church was strongly committed to the creation of brephotrophs for exposed infants,
orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
s, gerontocomia for the non self-sufficient elderly, as well as Xenodochi and Nosocomi, for pilgrims.


History


From the Schola of the Saxons to the birth of the Hospital

The early edifice of the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Saxia was the ''Schola'', erected by the King of Wessex Ine (689-726). At the beginning of the eight century the Schola had been conceived to host the Anglo-Saxon pilgrims visiting Rome, and in particular its innumerable holy places, like the tomb of
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
.
Bede Bede (; ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Bede of Jarrow, the Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable (), was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, and his most f ...
wrote that "Nobles and plebeians, men and women, warriors and artisans came from Britannia". This pilgrimage lasted centuries; in that period Rome enjoyed such a fame that at least ten sovereigns are known to have come ''ad limina Apostolorum'' the first of them was
Cædwalla Cædwalla (; 659 – 20 April 689) was the King of Wessex from approximately 685 until he abdicated in 688. His name is derived from the Welsh Cadwallon. He was exiled from Wessex as a youth and during this period gathered forces and attac ...
, King of the Western
Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
(685-688). Following the foundation of the ''Schola'', the whole quarter took an exotic character, so that it was known as the "town of Saxons"; even now the right bank of the
Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...
is called ''Borgo'' (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
for "village"). At the beginning of the pontificate of Leo IV, a violent fire - portrayed by
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
in the fresco " The Fire in the Borgo" - devastated the quarter of the Saxons and also damaged the ''Scholae'' of the
Frisians The Frisians () are an ethnic group indigenous to the German Bight, coastal regions of the Netherlands, north-western Germany and southern Denmark. They inhabit an area known as Frisia and are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland an ...
, the
Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...
, the
Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...
and the
Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
themselves, coming to affect St. Peter's Basilica. Such an extended fire had to be malicious: it was probably set on by
Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...
s, penetrated up the river. Pope Leo IV looked after the reconstruction of the Church of Santa Maria in Saxia and of the ''Schola'' of the
Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
, in which many kings of Northern
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, like Burgred of Mercia, or the Prince
Alfred the Great Alfred the Great ( ; – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who both died when Alfr ...
, found rest after an exhausting journey. A prosperous period followed; but, due to historical events such as the Norman invasion of
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in 1066 and the beginning of the
Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
, which routed the crowds of pilgrims towards other destinations, the institution declined and just maintained its name.
Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...
was the Pope who brought it back to the top, modifying it and making it one of the most famous hospitals in the world. Furthermore, on November 25, 1198 he approved and recommended the Order of the Hospitallers, through the
bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...
“''Religiosam vitam''”, by which he welcomed Guy de Montpellier and the institution he had founded under the protection of the Vatican. In order to protect and uphold the orphan children, Innocent III dedicated them a new institution, the renowned ''ruota degli esposti'' ("baby hatch"), where the abandoned children were left. Soon afterward Reginald, Bishop of
Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...
, offered to the Hospital - at that time called ''Santa Maria in Saxia'' - a
prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Catholic Church, Catholic or Anglicanism , Anglican clergy, a form of canon (priest) , canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in part ...
of his church. Thanks to the consecration of this new institution, Innocent III created a statute of rules for the Order of the Hospitallers, who was entrusted with the management and the safeguard of the Hospital, under the control of Guy de Montpellier. In 1201 the same Pope endowed to the Hospital of Santa Maria the church with the same name and its incomes. This deed sanctioned the birth of the Venerable Roman Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Saxia, while the bordering church became a hospitality shelter. At the beginning of its existence, the new structure only consisted of a rectangular aisle enlightened by little windows, with a capacity of 300 patients and 600 indigents. The Hospital received conspicuous donations, like the ones by the King of England John Lackland, who granted "the donation of the Church of Wirtel and of its incomes as an endowment to the Hospital", or the ones by the Pope himself, who erected new edifices alongside of the new institute and, starting from January 1208, granted to the new structure the privilege of "Sacred Station" on the Sunday following the eighth Epiphany, thus increasing the zeal of the faithful. The celebration was accompanied by a procession and a solemn ceremony, after which the Pope donated 3 dinars to the members of the Hospital and to 1000 poor men. It was a very important event, that gathered the people into the rising institute. The Pope pronounced a very significant homily, that began with the words taken from the
Gospel of John The Gospel of John () is the fourth of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "Book of Signs, signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the ...
: "On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding ... The Roman Hospital was enlarged by many Popes and, century after century, it gained greatness and splendour, so that Pope
Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
could proclaim it "The throne of Catholic Charity".


Guy de Montpellier

Guy de Montpellier is known as a knight templar, coming from the
Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...
family of the counts of Guillaume. He built in his native town a Hospital House, that rose in the area now called ''Pyla-Saint-Gely'', and founded a regular order of Hospitallers Friars (1170), consecrated to give assistance to infirm, abandoned children and whoever needed help and cares. Documents dating back to the decade 1180-90 prove that the Hospital of Montpellier already had great importance, such as the new Hospitallers order. These documents show the existence of 6 Houses of the Holy Spirit all over
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, following the model of Montpellier. By giving rise to the Holy Spirit organization, Guy wanted that ”the assistance and care were free from the cold-heartedness of a paid service, and raised up to the degree of a sacred duty, deserving to be compared to the pureness of the Apostles and
early Christianity Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the History of Christianity, historical era of the Christianity, Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Spread of Christianity, Christian ...
age”. The future Pope Innocent III, during his stay in France, had had the opportunity of admiring this effective institution and commented: "Here the hungry are fed, the poor are dressed, the orphan children are fed, the infirm are rendered the necessities and all kind of consolation is given to the poor. Therefore The Master and the Friars of the Holy Spirit should not be called hosts of the poor, but their servants, and they are the real poor men, as they charitably share the necessity to the indigent". As soon as he ascended the papal throne, Innocent III publicly celebrated the institution of the Houses of the Holy Spirit: ”Through hard informations we know that the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, founded in Montpellier by our beloved son Friar Guy, shines over all the other hospitals in terms of Religion and practice of the greatest hospital charity, as all the ones that experienced it can testify”. Innocent III esteemed Guy insomuch as to appoint him commissioner against the
heretics Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Christianity, Judai ...
in France. With the 1198 bull he confirmed the foundation of the Hospitallers and placed them under his protection, together with all the French branches and the ones that were rising in Rome, such as Santa Maria in
Trastevere Trastevere () is the 13th of Rome, Italy. It is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin (). Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lion on a red background, the meaning of which i ...
and Sant’Agata on the Via Aurelia. The yearning of Guy was lucky enough to meet the thought of Innocent III. The Pope himself, in a letter to the bishops of France, proclaimed Guy as a “God-fearing man, dedicated to the good works”.


Arrival of Sixtus IV

In 1471 the Hospital suffered an imposing fire that led it to a crumbling condition.
Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...
(1471-1484), visiting the Hospital soon after his election, described it: “the falling walls, the narrow, gloomy edifices, without air and whichever comfort, look like a place intended for the captivity rather than health recovery”. He decided the immediate rebuilt, in view of the Jubilee of 1475. Thanks to Sixtus IV, the hospital enjoyed a real rebirth, thus becoming the most important place for scientific research: it hosted famous doctors, such as Giovanni Tiracorda, the personal doctor of Clement X, Lancisi and Baglivi, who conducted important medical projects. Furthermore, within the ''Antica Spezieria'' (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
for "Ancient Spicery"), the use of quina bark was first experimented for the treatment of
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
. In religious terms, the hospital could relish the presence of such personalities as St. Philip Neri and St. Camillus de Lellis. Finally, the importance of the ''Anatomical theatre'' can not be overlooked: it summoned such artists and scientists as
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
,
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...
and
Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...
, who reproduced the façade of the hospital in the background of the fresco “Jesus cleansing a leper”.


Former Rule of Santo Spirito

The Hospitaller Order is based on its Rule, consisting of 105 short chapters, many of which extensively recall the duties of former
religious order A religious order is a subgroup within a larger confessional community with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Religious orders often trace their lineage from revered teachers, venerate their Organizational founder, ...
s. Two examples of the Rule of Santo Spirito have been conserved: one is in the National Archive of Rome, the other in the archive of the hospital of
Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
, both dating back to the fifteenth century. This Rule is effectively appropriate to the hospital framework, pervaded with discipline and unselfishness, and thoroughly clarifies the progression of the everyday life in the hospital. It is especially noticeable that most of the chapters have the purpose to make the stay of the ill in the structure more comfortable and healthy. For instance, Chapter 1 says that all goods belong to everybody and that "Nobody shall dare saying that a thing is his own", while Chapter 15 says "The spirit of charity shall be a constant rule" and Chapter 33 contains scrupulous rules about clothing provision and orphans breeding.


Hospitals of Santo Spirito between 12th and 13th centuries

At the end of the 12th century, two hospitals of the Order of Santo Spirito worked in Rome: the first one was the subject of this item, while the second one rose close to the Church of Sant’Agata, at the door of the town; another hospital of the same Order rose in the same century close to the church of San Biagio in
Orte Orte is a town, ''comune'', former Catholic bishopric and Latin titular see in the province of Viterbo, in the central Italian region of Lazio, located about north of Rome and about east of Viterbo. Geography Orte is situated in the Tiber V ...
. At the end of the 13th century the Hospitals of Santo Spirito amounted about to a hundred, the majority of which in
Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
, but also in
Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...
,
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...
,
Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...
,
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
and
Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...
. The most famous and important ones, besides the mother house in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, were the ones in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
,
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
,
Foligno Foligno (; Central Italian, Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennine Mountains, Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clit ...
,
Pozzuoli Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula. History Antiquity Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia ...
and
Viterbo Viterbo (; Central Italian, Viterbese: ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Lazio region of Italy, the Capital city, capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in ...
.


Modern period

In 1605, to ensure a more organized management of the Hospital's properties and its continued finances,
Pope Paul V Pope Paul V (; ) (17 September 1552 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a mem ...
supported the institution of the Banco di Santa Spirito. In the seventeenth century it had its seat in the banking quarter near the head of the
Ponte Sant'Angelo Ponte Sant'Angelo, originally the Aelian Bridge or Pons Aelius, is a Roman bridge in Rome, Italy, completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus), to span the Tiber from the city centre to his newly constructed maus ...
. Santo Spirito had become the flagship charitable organization and principal hospital of Rome. At the end of the eighteenth century the Hospital retained a considerable property of more than 37,070 acres (15,000 hectares). It comprised numerous estates, of which the chief ones were Santa Severa, Palidoro, and Castel di Guido. In 1896 the formerly separate administrations of the other Roman hospitals were unified with that of Santo Spirito under the corporate name "Pio Istituto di Santo Spirito ed Ospedali riuniti di Roma," forming the largest hospital complex in Europe. Dissolved in 1976, its entire endowment was transferred to the Comune di Roma in 1981.


Present day

Since 2000 the monumental complex has become one of the congress centres of Rome and is managed by Giubilarte s.r.l. It houses conventions, gala dinners, fashion shows and art exhibitions. The complex of Santo Spirito in Sassia belongs to the association "Historic Conference Centres of Europe" and is a supporting member of the Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association.


Complex


Corsia Sistina

The ''Corsia Sistina'' (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
for "Sixtine Aisle"), erected for the will of Sixtus IV after grieves, sacks and fires, is the main building of the hospital. Surmounted by an octagonal tower, the Corsia is an immense hall, 340 ft long and 40 ft wide, divided into two sections separated by a lantern: the two rooms were called "Lower Wing" and "Upper Wing". The lantern, that puts the rooms into contact, has two levels: on the outer side it shows two- and three-mullioned windows, ascribed to the architect Giovanni Pietro Ghirlanducci from
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
, while the internal side is decorated with shell-shaped niches, housing statues of the Apostles, and barrel-vaulted intradosses with
coffer A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, al ...
s, arguably due to the florentine architect and
ébéniste An ''ébéniste'' () is a cabinet-maker, particularly one who works in ebony. The term is a loanword from French and translates to "ebonist". Etymology and ambiguities As opposed to ''ébéniste'', the term ''menuisier'' denotes a woodcarver or ...
Giovannino de' Dolci. In the middle of the lantern rises an altar, probably the only Roman work by
Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( , ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be on ...
; behind the altar formerly there was a pipe organ, whose music gladdened the ill during their stay. In the prostyle of the lantern there is one of the two main entrances of the ancient Sixtine hospital; it has a double gate: the inner one, called "Gate of Paradise", is ascribed to Andrea Bregno. Close to the gate of Bregno there is the ''ruota degli esposti'' (baby hatch), created by Innocent III for the reception of the orphans. The other entrance of the hospital, portrayed by
Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...
into a fresco of the
Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...
, is preceded by a large portico with octagonal pillars. In 1478, the walls of the Corsia were frescoed with a frieze made by more than fifty scenes, depicting the origins of the hospital of Innocent III and the most important episodes of the life of Sixtus IV. The fresco was painted by artists of the so-called "Umbro-Roman School", such as
Melozzo da Forlì Melozzo da Forlì ( – 8 November 1494) was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect. His fresco paintings are notable for the use of foreshortening. He was the most important member of the Forlì painting school. Biography Melozzo was s ...
,
Domenico Ghirlandaio Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi (2 June 1448 – 11 January 1494), professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio (also spelt as Ghirlandajo), was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence. Ghirlandaio was part of the so-c ...
,
Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian Renaissance painter. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his small stature a ...
and
Antoniazzo Romano Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili (c. 1430 – c. 1510), known as Antoniazzo Romano, was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the latter part of the 15th century. He "made a speciality of ...
. The cycle of the frescoes, depicting the origin of the hospital and a few episodes about Innocent III, starts from the east wall and continues till the south wall; here starts the depiction of the life and deeds of Sixtus IV. The most important episodes include the killing of the kids thrown into the
Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...
, the dream of Innocent III and the fishermen showing kids corpses to Innocent III. The dream described in the fresco was the one that persuaded Innocent III to found the ''Schola of the Saxons'', the former seat of the Hospital. The complex of the Ospedale di Santo Spirito lies over an area that, in ancient Rome, was occupied by the villa of
Agrippina the Elder (Vipsania) Agrippina the Elder (also, in Latin, , "Germanicus's Agrippina"; – AD 33) was a prominent member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. She was the daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (a close supporter of the first Roman emperor, Aug ...
(wife of
Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was a Roman people, Roman general and politician most famously known for his campaigns against Arminius in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicu ...
and mother of
Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...
): in some rooms below the Corsia Sistina, remains of ''
opus reticulatum ''Opus reticulatum'' (also known as reticulate work) is a facing used for concrete walls in Ancient Roman architecture, Roman architecture from about the first century BCE to the early first century CE. Facings are a type of polygonal masonry us ...
'' walls, mosaic floors, carved marbles and frescoes are still visible.


Cloisters of the Friars and of the Nuns

After building the "Lower Wing" of the Corsia Sistina, Pope Sixtus IV erected two religious edifices at the service of the foundation, one for the friars and the other for the nuns. Both edifices overlook a rectangular cloister, bordered by a double
loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...
with arches resting on ionic columns; the refectory and the kitchen were in common. The two cloisters, though very similar at all appearances, nevertheless show subtle but substantial differences: the Cloister of the Nuns has an additional arch and shows the coat of arms of Sixtus IV on the transom of the doors and windows; the same coat of arms is also visible in the middle of the
groin vault A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. Honour, H. and J. Fleming, (2009) ''A World History of Art''. 7th edn. London: La ...
s in the corners. Furthermore, in 1479 some rooms within the edifice of the nuns were used as an hospice for the nobles and later for the nurses taking care of the abandoned children. In 1791 twelve columns of the Cloister of the Friars and ten columns of the Cloister of the Nuns were removed by the nephews of
Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
, who re-employed them in the Honour Grand Staircase of
Palazzo Braschi Palazzo Braschi () is a large Neoclassical palace in Rome, Italy and is located between the Piazza Navona, the Campo de' Fiori, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Piazza di Pasquino. It presently houses the Museo di Roma, the "Museum of R ...
. In the middle of both cloisters a fountain rises: the most important is the one in the Cloister of the Nuns, called "Fountain of the Dolphins", an example of refined 16th-century elegance, attributable to
Baccio Pontelli Baccio Pontelli (c. 1449 – c. 1494) was an Italian architect and worker in wood inlays, who designed the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Baccio is an abbreviation of Bartolomeo. Pontelli was born in Florence; in 1459 his father declared he was ...
. In addition to the Cloisters of the Friars and of the Nuns, the hospital has a third cloister, located within the porticoes of the "Ancient Conservatory". This cloister is surrounded by a garden with a simple but elegant well in the middle.


Palazzo del Commendatore

Palazzo del Commendatore (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
for "Palace of the Knight Commander"), a 16th-century enlargement of the complex, was erected under the pontificate of
Pius V Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...
and dedicated to Monsignor Bernardino Cirillo, ''Commendatore'' from 1556 to 1575, regarded as one of the most famous ''Commendatori'' of the institute. The palace overlooks a quadrangular courtyard bordered by a double loggia with arches resting on
doric columns The Doric order is one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of t ...
in the lower loggia and on ionic columns in the upper one. The ceiling of the lower portico is a ribbed vault, that of the upper portico is wooden; the area of the courtyard houses an impluvium, on the model of the houses in ancient Rome. The central arch of the lower loggia hosts a fountain erected by
Paul V Pope Paul V (; ) (17 September 1552 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a mem ...
as a decoration for the Palace of the Vatican and later moved to the Palazzo del Commendatore by
Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII (; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death, in May 1667. He began his career as a vice-papal legate, and he held various di ...
. The upper loggia, in correspondence to the fountain, shows a big clock surrounded by the coat of arms of the family of Cardinal Ludovico Gazzoli. The face of the clock is framed by the figure of a snake touching its own tail, symbol of eternity; on both sides there is a cross with two horizontal axes, symbol of the Holy Spirit. On the left of the main entrance of the courtyard there is the door of the ancient ''Spezieria'' (
spicery A spicery was the office in a medieval or Renaissance household responsible for spices, as well as the room in which the spices were kept. It was headed by a spicerer. The office was subordinated to the kitchen or the wardrobe, and existed as a se ...
) of the Hospital, lately restored and still containing its wonderful and a rich collection of fine pictures. On the right of the main entrance are the ''Accademia Lancisiana'' and the grand staircase, giving access to the first floor of the Palazzo and to the upper loggia, which shows a plaster impression of a low-relief by
Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italians, Italian Neoclassical sculpture, Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was ins ...
depicting a lesson of anatomy. The walls of the upper loggia are entirely decorated with frescoes commissioned by Cardinal Teseo Aldrovandi to the painter Ercole Pelillo from
Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...
; they show landscapes, panoplies and
grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German, as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...
s. The loggia gives access, through a double doorway, to the Apartment of the ''Commendatore'', consisting of many rooms decorated with magnificent tapestries, ancient furniture and sculptures, among which a Virgin with the Child by
Andrea del Verrocchio Andrea del Verrocchio ( , , ; born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni; – 1488) was an Italian sculpture, sculptor, List of Italian painters, painter and goldsmith who was a master of an important workshop in Florence. He apparently bec ...
. The most eminent room is the Gala Hall, called ''Salone del Commendatore''; this room was interely frescoed by the brothers Jacopo and Francesco Zucchi, who portrayed the history of the Hospital, from the dream of Pope
Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...
, to Pope
Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...
visiting the building sites, up to the whole, diversified endeavour carried out by the Institution (see the paragraph ''Corsia Sistina''). Each scene simulates a tapestry bordered by draperies, on which the coats of arms of Santo Spirito, with its typical "Cross of Lorraine", and of the Aldrovandi family are alternately represented. Finally, the corners of the room are decorated with pictures of festoons and fruits.


Biblioteca Lancisiana

The Room of the ''Commendatore'', as well as the upper loggia, give access to the Biblioteca Lancisiana, founded in 1711 by
Giovanni Maria Lancisi Giovanni Maria Lancisi (26 October 1654 – 20 January 1720) was an Italian physician, epidemiologist and anatomist who made a correlation between the presence of mosquitoes and the prevalence of malaria. He was also known for his studies about c ...
, an eminent scholar and the doctor of Pope Innocent XI, who made this library the heart of his project for the promotion of scientific culture. The library was inaugurated in 1714 in the presence of Pope
Clement XI Pope Clement XI (; ; ; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI was a patron of the arts an ...
. It is composed of two large halls: the first one has an atrium and a vestibule; the second one, the former part of the library, has 16 wooden shelves. The collections of books comprise the Lancisi collection, made with books donated by the King of France
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III and Prince Fürstenberg. The library also conserves 373 valued manuscripts from 14th to 20th century, among which two parchment
codices The codex (: codices ) was the historical ancestor format of the modern book. Technically, the vast majority of modern books use the codex format of a stack of pages bound at one edge, along the side of the text. But the term ''codex'' is now r ...
with
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
translations of texts by
Avicenna Ibn Sina ( – 22 June 1037), commonly known in the West as Avicenna ( ), was a preeminent philosopher and physician of the Muslim world, flourishing during the Islamic Golden Age, serving in the courts of various Iranian peoples, Iranian ...
and the well-known ''Liber Fraternitatis Sancti Spiritus''. A little window, located behind one of the walls of the library, opens up at the level of the frescoes of the Corsia Sistina: it allowed the various ''Commendatori'' who managed the Institute to check up on the staff responsible for the care of the sick. In the middle of the main hall of the library there are two magnificent globes made in 1600.


Church

The complex includes the Church of
Santo Spirito in Sassia Church of the Holy Spirit in the Saxon District (Italian language, Italian: ''La chiesa di Santo Spirito in Sassia'') is a 12th-century Titular church, titular church in Rome, Italy. It is in ''Borgo Santo Spirito'', a street which got its name fr ...
.


References

;Notes ;Citations


Bibliography

* * Amoroso, Maria Lucia (1998). ''Il complesso monumentale di Santo Spirito in Saxia - Corsia Sistina e Palazzo del Commendatore,'' Newton & Compton editori, Rome 1998. * Cappelletti, V.; and Tagliarini, F., eds (200). ''L'antico Ospedale di Santo Spirito dall'istituzione papale alla sanità del terzo millennio'' (Rome, 2001–2002), 2 vols. *Curcio, Giovanna (1998), "L'ampliamento dell'ospedale di Santo Spirito in Sassia nel quadro della politica di Benedetto XIV per la città di Roma," in: D. B. Maiano (ed.), ''Benedetto XIV e le arti del disegno'', (Rome: Quasar 1998), pp. 177–232. * * *


External links

* {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Rome Rome R. XIV Borgo Hospitals in Rome Hospitals established in the 8th century