Country
City Rome
AddressRome, 00185 Viale dell'Università 34

ABOUT

Museum of Medical History, Rome University

Museo di Storia della Medicina

The Museum of Medical History (Museo di Storia della Medicina) at the Rome University La Sapienza, founded in 1938 by Adalberto Pazzini, is located in the building of the Institute of the Medical History and showcases the evolution of medical science across three floors. The basement features reconstructions like an apothecary and an alchemist’s lab. The first floor spans from prehistoric times to the 17th century, highlighting ancient Mediterranean and medieval medicine. The second floor explores the shift to experimental medicine, biomedicine, genomics, and their technological applications​​.

 

Origine of the collection

The Museo di Storia della Medicina's primary collection originated at its founding, initially stored in the Hygiene Institute's basement, before moving to its current location in 1954. This collection, intimately linked to Pazzini, includes antiques and has been enhanced by acquisitions since the postwar era.

Interesting fact – the considerable part of the Museum's permanent exhibition is sourced from the collection of Evangelista Gennaro Gorga (1865–1957), who was not a doctor but a famous Italian lyric tenor, known for originating the role of Rodolfo in the Giacomo Puccini's La bohème in 1896. This first significant addition was done in 1947, featuring pharmacy vases, portable pharmacies, surgical tools, ancient microscopes, and Roman ex-votos, among others. The museum also houses Sarnelli's herbal medicines and Neushuller's pharmaceutical items, plus embalming artifacts from the Turin Egyptian Museum, showcasing ancient Egyptian culture.

 

La Sapienza University

The Sapienza University of Rome, founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII, is a renowned public research university in Rome, Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest universities in Europe, with approximately 122,000 students today. Initially established as a center for ecclesiastical studies, it now offers a wide range of academic disciplines. The papal's bull 'In Supremae praeminentia Dignitatis' (In the Supreme Preeminence of Dignity), emphasized the significance of the university's establishment under the Pope's high authority and its distinguished purpose in the realm of higher education and ecclesiastical studies, distinguishing it from the universities of Bologna and Padua. This made it the first pontifical university. In 1431, Pope Eugene IV expanded the university reorganized the studium with the bull 'In supremae'. This granted masters and students the broadest possible privileges and decreed that the university should include the four schools of Law, Medicine, Philosophy and Theology. To raise funds for the university, he introduced a new tax on wine. The money was used to buy a palace which later housed the Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza church. 

 

Entrance Fee

The entrance is free, but visitors need to register themselves through the Google-Form.

PICTURES

Replica of Ancient Rome Vaginal Speculum
Replica of Ancient Rome Vaginal Speculum
Aesculapius
Aesculapius (Asklepion)
Ancient Rome Cuppings
Ancient Rome Cuppings
Four elements are correlated with classical types of temperament: earth (melancholic, thoughtful and reserved, dry); fire (choleric, passionate and energetic, dry); water (phlegmatic, calm and composed, dry), and air (sanguine, social and lively, wet).
Ancient Roman surgical instruments
Ancient Roman surgical instruments
Antique model of the pharmacy
Antique model of the pharmacy
Portable Pharmacy, XVIII century
Portable Travel Pharmacy, XVIII century belonged to Eusebio Giacinto Valli (1755 – 1816), Italian physician and scientist
The Set of urological instruments, XIX century
The set of urological instruments, XIX century
The saw invented by Dr. Bernhard Heine
The saw invented by Dr. Bernhard Heine
The Heine Saw
The unique example of the Heine saw with the fixation attachment. Credit: Museum of the Medical History, Rome University.
A large set of surgical instruments, XIX century
A large set of surgical instruments, XIX century
Amputation saw and knife
Amputation saw and knife
Electroencephalograph, XX cent
Electroencephalograph, XX cent
Electroencephalograph, XX cent
Electroencephalograph, XX cent
One of the first models of the artificial kidney, ca. 1960
One of the first models of the artificial kidney, ca. 1960
Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza church at the former University La Sapienza courtyard
Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza church – a Roman Catholic church built in 1642–1660 by Francesco Borromini. It is situated at the rear of the former University La Sapienza courtyard; now the complex is used by the State Archives of Rome
The former University La Sapienza courtyard, view opposite to the Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza church

More info

  1. Museum of Medical History, Rome University, Italy (in Italian)
warning-red Found mistake? Select text and press Ctrl+Enter (for Mac: Cmd+Enter)

Video