The ancient hospital "Spetale di Mazara", previously known as "Spetale consacrato a S.Lucia" is located in the historic centre of Mazara Del Vallo (Via Camillo Torresa, 4). This hospital is dated 1596 and it was built due to Lucianus De Rubeis, bishop of Mazara, who ordered to build all at once an institute for infirms, a new monastery and a new seminary. It is still possible to find those kind of information in an old notarial transaction managed by Giacomo Anello. The deed is kept in the records of the diocese of Mazara. In the official document the notary quotes the following sentence: "Lucianus episcopus mazariensis Spiritu Sancto ductus a quo cuncta bona procedunt, et ubi vult spirat, considerans et attendens ac animum vertens in hac civitate Mazarae fuisse et esse utile et necessarium construere et fundare Monasterium, sive Seminarium ac etiam novum Hospitale". In fact it wasn’t the first building used as an hospital, for, around the 1300, was found the very first hospital of the city thanks to a disciple of Saint Francis of Assisi called “L’Angelico”, but, unfortunately, nothing remains of the first building, except for the name of the street “Ospedale Vecchio”. Even the township doesn’t own enough document to redevelop the story of "Spetale s. Lucia”. We only know, due to his signature, that the minister Agostino Depretis attended to the drawing up of a charter (called “Statuto Organico delle pie opere dell'Ospedale civico”) published the 17th of February 1883.
Both the images represent the coat of arms of the bishop Lucianus De Rubeis
These are some sentences that is possible to read from the tablet that remind the foundation of the Hospital : "SANCTA HEC HOSPITVM DOMVS PRIMV AB ILL.MO DNO D.LVCIANO DE RUBEIS INFORMATA AC NOT PAVCIS INDE REDDITIBUS ROBBORATA PRATEREA ILL.MO DNO FRE D.IOANNE LOZANO VIGILANTISSIMO PRAESVLE IUBE TE , CAN.CUS D.MARIANUS ORTIS V.I.D PETRUS MIRABELLA, ET CAPITANVS D. FRANCISCUS CENTORBI
RECTORES AD EXITUM PERDUXERUNT OPTA [ … ] ANNO SALVTIS MDCLVII."
- Photos by Serena Giacalone (December 2011)
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