Monumental complex of San Matteo degli infermi, Medieval architectural complex in Spoleto, Italy.
The monumental complex of San Matteo degli infermi in Spoleto comprises a 16th-century cloister with two levels of loggias on columns and arches, the deconsecrated church of San Matteo, a large building in ruins for over 80 years along via Mameli, and a building housing the State Archive section since 1991. A small piazza and Largo Giuseppe Ermini complete the ensemble.
Bishop Benedetto authorized the Penitent Friars on 7 January 1227 to build a church and hospital outside the Porta di San Lorenzo, dedicated to Saint Matthew. The hospital cared for pilgrims, the sick, the poor and abandoned children until a 1478 ruling ended it; the site later became an Augustinian convent and then a hospital active until 1939.
The complex gave its name to the surrounding Borgo San Matteo, later called il Borgaccio. Among the seven Augustinian nuns who moved here in 1473 was Marina di Silvestro Petrucciani, known as Marina di Spoleto. The 1542 Statutes of Spoleto still mention the "poor sheltered in S. Matteo".
The complex is partially accessible to visitors today, with sections occupied by archives that may have different opening hours. It's best to check beforehand if access requires advance notice or if specific areas have restricted visiting times.
The church and hospital were dedicated to Saint Matthew or Masseo the Apostle. Among the seven Augustinian nuns who moved from Santa Maria della Stella in 1473 was Marina di Silvestro Petrucciani, known as Marina di Spoleto, a figure later venerated in the city.
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