This is the secondo location of Taranto's Hospital. The Hospital was transferred to this site at the beginning of 1600. The community and the university were not able to administer the Hospital, and in 1591 the archbishop Brancaccio decided to entrust the direction of the Hospital to S. John of God's fiars, in particular to friar Melchiorre. The agreement transferred the administration and the income of Hospital's structure to the friars, but the University remained the property owner. The building is situated in front of the archbishopric, next to S. Caterina's church (on the right in photo). Even thought the structure remained propriety of University of Taranto, it went throught many names during this time period with the friars, such as "Hospital of Fatebenefratelli of Taranto","Hospital of S. Mary of Sanity of Fatebenefratelli of Taranto" in official documents, and "Hospital of S. John of God's friars" from the citizens, who enjoyed this new management. The Hospital was transferred again during the first period of 1800, after French occupation. French modified the building, in particular they changed the external aspect, which remains the same until 1932. The structure was transformed in the Direction of Genius and Artillery.
This Hospital becames the most important in Taranto and its Province, and now it is known as "Hospital SS. Annunziata".
This is on old photo of Fatebenefratelli's convent site of the Hospital, with entrance from Piazza Episcopio.
The arms of SS. Annunziata
- Photos by Liliana Stola and from "Medici e medicina nella Taranto dell'Ottocento" (January 2014)
- Locate the item on this [ Google Map]