The exhibition, promoted by the State Archives of Turin together with SASP-Centre for Documentation on the History of Assistance and Healthcare in Piedmont and DAIRI -Department of Integrated Research and Innovation Activities, was created to celebrate the centenary of the transformation of the ancient San Luigi Gonzaga hospital into the headquarters of the Joint Sections of the Archives through an exhibition that highlights the rich historical and artistic heritage of the region's hospitals.
Although hospitals are mainly perceived as technical-scientific structures aimed exclusively at providing medical services with a view to efficiency that can sometimes be dehumanising, they are almost always centuries-old institutions with a history embedded in architecture, works of art, documents, scientific instruments and objects of worship. These objects bear witness not only to the evolution of healthcare, but above all to the deep bonds that have always united communities and their hospitals, which are local cornerstones of care and humanity.
Today, these assets, which a hyper-technological view of medicine considers superfluous or outdated, are sometimes neglected or hidden, even when they are of extraordinary value and worth. Yet a humanistic view of medicine, for which there is a growing need, not least in the effort to restore trust between patients and caregivers, suggests that knowledge and conscious use of these assets can be a powerful tool in many respects, as evidenced by numerous positive experiences in Italy and abroad.
Via Piave 21 , Torino