The ancient hospital complex of Sant'Andrea or "Ospedale Maggiore" - dating back to the 13th century - is still represented by a succession of buildings along the via Galileo Ferraris in Vercelli, just in front of the basilica with the same name: some of those buildings are still in use, some are under restoration and some are completely abandoned and neglected (July 2010). At the rear of the complex, there is a large car park.
The oldest nucleus of the hospital is the so called Salone dugentesco (thirteenth-century hall) whose interior is undergoing restoration. It bears witness of the hospital's origins as an initiative, in 1223, of Cardinal Guala Bicchieri "ad refectionem pauperum" (for the aid to poor people) and as a seat of the old medical school of the town's university (operating from 1228 until the mid of the 14th century)1.
An adjacent 19th century building - now the seat of the School of Humanities of the local University - bears on its facades more than twenty medallions with the bas-relief faces of famous physicians of the history, from Hippocrates on (see below for the details of some of them).
- Photos by Luca Borghi ti.supmacinu|ihgrob.l#| (July 2010)
- Locate the item on this Google Map
Related items:
- Andrea Vaccà-Berlinghieri's bas-relief
- Antonio Vallisneri's bas-relief
- Aretaeus of Cappadocia's bas-relief
- Aulus Cornelius Celsus' bas-relief
- Carl Linnaeus bas-relief
- Claudius Galen's bas-relief
- Edward Jenner's bas-relief
- Pietro Assalini's bas-relief
- Vincenzo Malacarne's bas-relief