NAPOLI. One hundred million investment by the Campania Region for the redevelopment, restoration and refunctionalization of the Incurable Hospital in the center of Naples, behind Via Foria. This is the program presented today by Ciro Verdoliva, director of the ASL Napoli 1. Next to him is the governor of Campania Vincenzo De Luca who has released the funds to bring back to life an ancient hospital in Naples, evacuated after being declared unsafe in April of 2019. Now the tenders are starting to be renovated and reopened.
“Today, what happened at the Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili hospital complex on 9 April 2019 comes to mind – said Verdoliva – when the entire complex was declared a place to be evacuated quickly and the procedure was carried out in one day from 11am to 9pm We are talking about a hospital that has been alive for 500 years in the center of Naples and on which the tender for redevelopment interventions to create a new socio-health structure with territorial value is now underway. but also a cultural and museum structure in historic places. The tender officially starts today with calls for tenders until 13 January 2025. We have funding of 100 million: 83 from the Development and Cohesion Fund, 17 from the agreement on healthcare construction. “.
The ASL has predicted that the works will last 36 months. The objective is twofold: a new socio-health structure and a large museum and cultural structure as well as the recovery of the existing housing units and external areas. The ASL Napoli1 has identified nine aspects on which to intervene: the former convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie; the area damaged partly by the bombings of 1943 and partly by the earthquake of 1980; the green space of the garden; the main body with access from the monumental staircase; the former Institute of Pathological Anatomy; the church of Santa Maria Succurre Miseris and the Oratory of the Whites of Justice; the Pharmacy; the church of Santa Maria del Popolo including the Montalto chapel; two residential buildings serving the hospital.
“The complex of Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili – underlines Verdoliva – since its foundation, has been designated as a place of hospitalization, diagnosis and treatment and we want to preserve the natural vocation of the building while also preserving its healthcare destination. In the 16th century the ‘Incurables Hospital welcomed people who did not have the possibility of receiving adequate care. After five centuries the Incurables complex recovers its vocation, but with a current key. It will welcome those patients, who due to lack of alternative structures, are now cared for in hospitals or other care settings, using a surface area of approximately 12,900 m2, 60% of the total surface area”.
There will therefore be a multidisciplinary unit for diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation intended to welcome patients being discharged from hospital facilities or coming from home, “in need – explained Verdoliva – of assistance in a setting other than the hospital one with the aim that hospitals are relieved by a large number of hospitalizations and that many patients can continue to find the necessary care”.
It will also be a place to welcome patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. 12 cardiac rehabilitation beds, 12 neurological rehabilitation beds, 12 physical and motor rehabilitation beds, 20 post-acute long-term care beds and 15 community hospital beds will be set up. Finally, there will be work for the natural vocation of the Hospital for Incurables as a museum area, using a surface area of approximately 9,600 m2 (40% of the total) with routes and exhibition spaces with museum laboratories, a library with study and consultation rooms, rooms for conferences and concerts, multimedia rooms, workshops for the restoration of works of art and the restoration of historic pharmacies.
There will also be interventions on the therapeutic park in the cloister of Santa Maria delle Grazie and in the medical garden where there is an ultra-century-old Camphor tree. The project also includes residences with entrance from Vico Consolazione.
How does the redevelopment project aim to balance the preservation of the Ospedale degli Incurabili’s historical architectural integrity with the need for a modern, functional healthcare facility?
I would be happy to craft a professional interview pertaining to the redevelopment of the Ospedale degli Incurabili.
Let’s structure the interview into three thematic discussions:
**1. Historical Significance and Rebirth:**
* **Guest 1:** Dr. Maria Rossi, Art Historian specializing in Neapolitan architecture.
* **Guest 2:** Sig. Antonio Bianchi, Resident of the neighborhood adjacent to the Ospedale
* **Interviewer:** Dr. Rossi, the Ospedale degli Incurabili has been a Naples landmark for centuries. What are some of the most significant historical aspects of the Hospital that should be highlighted in this restoration?
* **Dr. Rossi:**
* **Interviewer:** Sig. Bianchi, how did the closure of the Hospital in 2019 affect the neighborhood? What are your hopes for its reopening?
* **Sig. Bianchi:**
* **Interviewer:** This redevelopment goes beyond simply restoring a building; it aims to reintegrate the Hospital into the fabric of Naples. How does this project honor the past while looking towards the future?
**2. Medical Innovation and Community Impact:**
* **Guest 1:** Dr. Laura Verdi, Epidemiologist specializing in geriatric care.
* **Guest 2:** Signor Enzo Giordano, Representative of a local patient advocacy group.
* **Interviewer:** Dr. Verdi, the Hospital will focus on specialized care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, as well as post-acute rehabilitation. How does this model of care address pressing needs of the Neapolitan community?
* **Dr. Verdi:**
* **Interviewer:** Signor Giordano, what are your thoughts on the inclusion of community hospital beds and the emphasis on reducing hospitalization rates?
* **Signor Giordano:**
* **Interviewer:** This project also envisions a partnership with the University of Naples Federico II. How could this collaboration contribute to advancements in healthcare and research?
**3. Cultural Revitalization and Sustainability:**
* **Guest 1:** Professor Marco Lombardi, Architect specializing in historic preservation.
* **Guest 2:** Signa Giulia Moretti, Landscape Architect.
* **Interviewer:** Professor Lombardi, the article mentions the preservation of the “therapeutic park” and the medical garden. Can you speak to the importance of integrating green space and nature into a healthcare setting?
* **Professor Lombardi:**
* **Interviewer:**Signa Moretti, how will the restoration balance the needs of a modern healthcare facility with the preservation of the Hospital’s architectural integrity?
* **Signa Moretti:**
* **Interviewer:** Looking toward the future, how will this revitalized space become a cultural asset, not just for Naples but for Italy as a whole?
This interview format will provide a nuanced and comprehensive look at the multifaceted nature of the Ospedale degli Incurabili’s redevelopment, showcasing its historical significance, medical innovations, and cultural potential.
