Italian
Historical path from the beginnings of medical science in the Middle Ages to the present day.
TREVISO (TV). An exhibition dedicated to the Health System of the Serenissima Republic against epidemics, from the invention of quarantine to the present day, between health, information, and diplomacy. This is the common thread that links “Venetian Lazarettos. The invention of quarantine from the Lagoon to the present day. Health, information, diplomacy, and prevention”, an exhibition that can be visited from Tuesday, June 3rd until the end of August in the central corridor on the 1st floor of the Ca’ Foncello hospital in Treviso, which has been transformed over time, thanks to a series of events, into a space dedicated to art exhibitions, photographic exhibitions, and historical paths.
Conceived by the Museum of the History of Medicine – Scuola Grande di San Marco of Ulss 3 Serenissima, with the contributions of experts from various Universities and Institutions, the exhibition summarizes part of the materials developed in recent years as part of the activities of recovery and enhancement of an island in the Venice Lagoon: the Lazzaretto Nuovo. After stops in Venice, Bergamo, and Mestre in recent months, thanks to the collaboration with the URP of Ulss 2, the traveling exhibition now makes a stop at Ca’ Foncello.
“Venetian lazzaretti” accompanies the visitor along a historical path that starts from the beginnings of medical science in the Middle Ages and reaches the current international health agreements related to the recent pandemic emergency. The historical story of Venice’s fight against the plague is presented, from the first lazaretto (Santa Maria di Nazareth, the Lazzaretto Vecchio, 1423) to the advanced general system of health prevention established by sea in Dalmatia and Greece, and by land in the Po Valley up to Bergamo: a control system, integrated with the commercial one, which included quarantines, health certificates (green pass), and constituted a real intelligence system, later extended worldwide.
The lazaretto was also a formidable communication system, and Treviso was an important reference point in this network. In the area of the San Lazzaro neighborhood, in fact, the hospital for the care of lepers was established in 1213, and around the lazaretto, a first residential nucleus developed, now known as “La Ghirada.” Today, lazarettos are surviving structures, often used for other purposes or abandoned, but some have been recently restored or are in the process of being restored: they remain as places of memory, monuments, and witnesses of historical importance, Heritage of Humanity.
“I wish to express a heartfelt thank you to the Museum of the History of Medicine – Scuola Grande di San Marco of Ulss 3 Serenissima for making this significant exhibition possible, which we were able to offer in our spaces thanks to the work of the Public Relations Office. An initiative that helps us reflect on the value of prevention and the role that Public Health has played, and continues to play, in safeguarding public health,” the words of the general director, Francesco Benazzi.
In order to provide in-depth analysis and bibliographic references, the exhibition is accompanied by a book, “The Venetian Lepers”, published by Marcianum Press (Venice, 2024). Unless otherwise specified, the topics and texts are curated by Gerolamo Fazzini, President of the Archaeoclub of Italy Venice Headquarters. The exhibition was created with the graphic collaboration of Michela Scibilia and the setup collaboration of Franco Meani, President of the “Friends of the Walls” of Bergamo.
For information: www.lazzarettiveneziani.it – info@lazzarettiveneziani.it.
