English Version

1. Colophon

The project is funded under the Regional Programme of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2021–2027 Priority 1 – Research, innovation, competitiveness and digitalisation Action 1.2.2 – Support for the digital transformation and development of culture
Call for proposals for the digitisation of cultural heritage belonging to libraries, historical archives, museums and other cultural institutions and sites
, approved by Regional Government Resolution No. 983/2023 and amended by Resolutions No. 1234/2023 and No. 93/2024.

Partners of the funded research project

Romagna Local Health Authority (Azienda USL della Romagna)

Scientific Coordinator and RUP: Sonia Muzzarelli

University of Ferrara

Department of Architecture – TekneHub Laboratory
University of Ferrara Technopole
Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network

Scientific Coordinators: Marcello Balzani, Fabiana Raco

Clust-ER BUILD

Building and Construction Cluster – Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network

Coordination:
Silvia Rossi, Clust-ER BUILD Manager
Gianluca Baldisserri, Clust-ER BUILD Project Officer

Working groups

Romagna Local Health Authority

Sonia Muzzarelli (Coordinator), Gianni Bisulli, Angelo Croatti, Andrea Gozzoli, Nicola Lugaresi, Tiziana Rambelli, Stefano Venturelli, Lisa Venturini

University of Ferrara

Department of Architecture – TekneHub Laboratory

Scientific Coordinators: Marcello Balzani, Fabiana Raco
Research Group: Ilaria Bartoli

Clust-ER BUILD

Silvia Rossi, Clust-ER BUILD Manager
Gianluca Baldisserri, Clust-ER BUILD Project Officer

Integrated digital solutions

Multimedia and immersive exhibition design

MORE srl

EnricoSANTORI (Coordination) Working group: Valerio Fiore, Emanuele Giglio, Massimo Mastrilli, Diego Zazzeroni Consultant: Emanuele Ciani

Collettivo Digitale srl

Donato Leone (Coordination) Working group: Daniela Donnini, Michela Larentis, Matteo Rinaldi, Caterina Sartini

Visual identity and communication

Visual identity, publications, panels, video interviews and photographic documentation
with ICCD cataloguing in PatER

Dot Beyond srl

Phaedra Casadio, Erica Catalano, Mario Guglielmo, Marco Ranieri

Technical project management

Gianni Bisulli

Press Office

Manuela Dradi, Alice Possidente (soc/st area), Tiziana Rambelli, Costanza Senni, Gianluca Strocchi

Acknowledgements

Paolo Gagliardi, Daniela Gallina, Tiziano Laghi, Leonardo Michelini, Elisabetta Montesi, Carlo Nardi, Mariolina Vitullo and all those who kindly contributed to the project.

Image providers – release authorisations

ACOSI – Italian Association of Historic Hospitals
State Archives of Forlì-Cesena
Aurelio Saffi Library of Forlì
Paolo Ambrosini, Cristiano Barbarossa, Francesco Fusari, Ennio Gelosi,
Pierluigi Mattarelli, Giordano Montorsi

Institutional note (bottom left)

The exhibition “Care Through Art” has been realised thanks to European Funds of the Emilia-Romagna Region.

Reference note (footer)

The exhibition contents refer to the volume
“Care Through Art – The Cultural Heritage of the AUSL of Romagna.”

2. The Great Benefactors of Romagna's AUSL

A tribute to the faces and stories of those who contributed, through concrete and generous acts, to the growth of healthcare facilities in our territory.

The portrait becomes a symbol of a deeply-rooted bond between individual and collectivity, and between private initiative and public good, especially in places dedicated to healthcare.

This collection highlights a cultural and civic heritage which connects memory, art and commitment, restoring visibility to those who made possible the creation and the strengthening of essential facilities for community health - often without recognition.

3. Institutions of care: a dive into Medical Architecture

12th - 15th Century

• Hospitals as religious facilities: the concept of Hospitality in healthcare
• Care services intertwined with faith and spirituality

15th - 18th Century

• Scientific innovations and humanistic thought transform assistance in medical care
• The Hospital becomes a patient-centered place
• More functional design, organized spaces

Giuseppe Merenda (1687-1767)
New House of God for the Patients, scale model in walnut wood
Photo from:
Maria Cristina Gori, Ulisse Tramonti,

"I Beni della Salute - Il Patrimonio dell'Azienda Sanitaria di Forlì"

Federico Motta Editore, 2004

18th - 19th Century

• from charity and volunteer work to a secular system governed by civil law
• 18th century's enlightened ideas were applied to medicine
• Economic, political and cultural transformations
• Larger and more specialized hospitals
• New hygiene principles were introduced, such as separated wards, ventilation and natural light
• Convents were converted into healthcare facilities: in Rimini, a former convent became a hospital. Today it houses the City Museum (Museo della Città).

20th Century - today

• Modern hospitals: advanced technology, innovative materials
• Patients' psychological well-being at the centre
• Green areas, bright rooms, human-centered design

Cesena, 3D Reconstruction of the New Hospital project

From the most ancient religious hospitals to modern, sustainable ones, medical architecture tells the story of society's evolution.
Each era has left visible traces in spaces devoted to care, where medicine and technology meet concern for the individual.

Criteria of modern Medical Architecture

Today's hospitals must be safe and accessible for everyone, with clear pathways and functional connections. Architectural design aims to create efficient spaces that facilitates healthcare work, while ensuring comfort and well-being through natural light, silence, privacy and open areas. Modern hospitals must be flexible, able to adapt to future needs, and environmentally sustainable, reducing consumption and emissions while respecting the planet.

4. The Widespread Museum of Romagna's Medical Art

Romagna's AUSL (Local Healthcare Authority) preserves a cultural heritage which tells the story of nine centuries of social and medical history, representing one of the largest healthcare authorities in Italy.

As a result of years of study and organization, this heritage has been largely relocated to its original sites, and its accessibility has been improved through events and publications.

Today, this heritage is presented as the Widespread Museum of Romagna's Medical Art, which connects historical hospitals, collections and healthcare facilities across the Romagna region.

The interactive map invites you to explore these places and follow thematic routes that facilitates the understanding of the collections and enhance their value.

Furthermore, thanks to the participation of Romagna's AUSL in ACOSI (Cultural Association of Italian Historical Hospitals), the map also broadens the perspective beyond the geographical boundaries of Romagna, offering a national overview of Italy's medical and historical heritage.

5. From "I beni della salute" to "La cura attraverso l'arte"

Attention to Forlì's medical heritage took shape in 2004, when the New Giovan Battista Morgagni - Luigi Pierantoni Hospital was inaugurated in Forlì. On that occasion, a museum itinerary titled I beni della salute was opened.

The former Local Healthcare Authority (USL) of Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna and Rimini had each cared for their cultural heritage when possible. These efforts converged in the project La cura attraverso l'arte, launched in 2014 together with the new Romagna's AUSL (Local Healthcare Authority).

Today, thanks to the regional fundings for Digital Humanities, this heritage has been collected and presented through the Widespread Museum of Romagna's Medical Art, which transforms centuries of history into an accessible and innovative language.

The medical memory of this territory becomes a shared experience, joining art, care and community, through new digital technologies.

6. Bernardino Boifava (Ghedi, Brescia, 1888 - Forlì, 1954)

Portrait of Luigi Babacci

Bronze bas-relief, 1923

This piece of art was first unveiled on the April 16th, 1923 and placed in the main pavilion of the Giovan Battista Morgagni Hospital, in the general surgery ward.

Professor Luigi Babacci (1855-1910) was a surgeon and a philanthropist who worked tirelessly to ensure that the city of Forlì was provided with a new hospital, equipped with rooms suitable for surgery and pavilions appropriate for patients.

Portrait of Sante Solieri

Patinated plaster, 1921

Sante Solieri was born in Cotignola (Ravenna) on September 24th, 1877. He was chief surgeon in Forlì from 1910 to 1945 and he lived there until his death, on April 6th, 1949. The sculpture portrays him at the age of 44.

7. From Faith to Science: the path of Healthcare in Romagna

From the origins of hospitals and religious institutions - where care and spirituality were intertwined - to the stories of benefactors whose generosity helped build and sustain the region's healthcare system.

This section offers the opportunity to delve into the memory and cultural heritage of Romagna's AUSL: from art and science collections to significant works of art, with a focus on the so-called Law of 2%, the Law No. 717 (July 29th, 1949), which brought art into hospitals, transforming care facilities into places enriched with beauty.

Special attention is given to hospital architecture and to the Sanatorium in Vecchiazzano, whose story is told through contributions, photographs and videos that illustrate the evolution of the modern Giovan Battista Morgagni - Luigi Pierantoni Hospital in Forlì.

8. The IX Maggio Sanatorium in Vecchiazzano, now the Giovan Battista Morgagni - Luigi Pierantoni Hospital in Forlì

This interactive station allows you to explore the history and the architectural evolution of Forlì's Hospital.

The contents are made accessible through subtitles, LIS (Italian Sign Language) translation and a Braille tactile map, ensuring an inclusive experience for all visitors. An inclusive path that restores the memory of this place as a shared heritage.