San Salvi, Psychiatric hospital in Florence, Italy
San Salvi is a psychiatric hospital in Florence comprising several buildings with nineteenth-century architecture designed by engineer Giacomo Roster. The complex includes a refectory housing a celebrated fresco by Andrea del Sarto that dates to 1527.
The complex was built in the late nineteenth century and opened in 1891 as one of the most modern psychiatric hospitals of its era. It played an important role in developing treatment approaches for mental illness in the region.
The name San Salvi refers to a saint and reflects the spiritual role this place held in the city for centuries. Today visitors can see the frescoes and medical equipment displayed in the rooms, showing how care for patients evolved over time.
The complex can be visited through guided tours that walk visitors through the history of psychiatry in Florence. Public transportation is recommended since the location is situated outside the city center.
The most celebrated artwork here is the fresco by Andrea del Sarto, which the artist painted in 1527 over a short period. Remarkably, this work survived the conflicts and destruction that Florence experienced in the decades that followed.
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