Roberto Papi Museum, museum in Italy
The Roberto Papi Museum is a house museum housed in a historic building called Palazzo Galdieri in Salerno that showcases the history of medicine. Inside, two floors with fourteen rooms display surgical tools, pharmacy equipment from the 1500s, and recreated hospital rooms and doctors' offices from different periods.
The museum opened in 2009 and is built on a major collection donated by Roberto Papi, a doctor and collector from Rome, with help from his family members. This collection is considered one of the most important assemblies for studying the history of medicine worldwide.
The museum sits on a street named after Trotula de Ruggiero, an 11th-century woman doctor from Salerno who is remembered as one of the first female physicians in Europe. Her legacy in medicine and her contributions to understanding women's health are reflected in the location and its purpose.
The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday in the afternoon and weekend mornings, and sits within walking distance of Salerno's city center and public transport. It is advisable to check opening hours in advance and allow time to walk through all fourteen rooms at a comfortable pace.
The museum holds rare and unique objects including a small gold-decorated case used for dental care and a set of surgical tools from a ship dating to the late 1700s. These items offer a personal glimpse into everyday medical practice from centuries past.
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