Collections of the Ospedale Maggiore, Medical heritage museum at University of Milan headquarters, Italy

The Collections of the Ospedale Maggiore are the art holdings of Milan's Ospedale Maggiore, kept in the Ca' Granda, the hospital's historic seat and now the central building of the State University of Milan. Their core is a portrait gallery of the hospital's benefactors, begun in the 15th century and now numbering over 900 paintings, shown alongside other collections of varied nature.

The portrait collection began in the 15th century, just after Francesco Sforza founded the hospital in 1456, to honour benefactors. From the 1600s the honour spread and the social-prestige requirement fell. In 1810 a scale was set: 40,000 lire for a half-length portrait, 80,000 for a full-length one. In 1906 a commission including Luca Beltrami and Mario Sironi took over choosing painters.

The collection began as a tribute to hospital benefactors: from the 17th century, donors of any social rank could be portrayed. A 1810 rule granted a half-length portrait for 40,000 lire and a full-length one for 80,000. The paintings also record Lombard dress and customs across the social classes portrayed.

The building is accessible to wheelchair users and operates with regular opening hours for visits. Plan to spend enough time exploring the different rooms and collections, as the museum holds a considerable amount of material to view.

The 1470 canvases by the little-known painter Francesco Da Vico commemorate the hospital's birth: Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti kneel before Pius II, with the Ca' Granda facade behind them. The collection now numbers over 900 portraits, and no permanent home has yet been found for it.