A hidden gem in Florence, Italy is the Museo degli Innocenti, which tells the story of the children who were orphaned and taken in by the institution since the 1400s. “The Institute was founded in 1419 under the patronage of the Silk Guild to care for abandoned children, thanks to a bequest in the will of Prato merchant Francesco Datini and other Florentine merchants. Construction of the building was entrusted to Filippo Brunelleschi. Like every other hospitality facility of the period, it took the name Ospedale (or Spedale). Its activities began on February 5, 1445, with the arrival of the first child, who was given the name Agata e Smeralda.” (Museum website)
The itinerary starts in the basement of the museum where you see thoughtful displays of some artifacts and a nice timeline. The highlight for me of this area was the digitized stories of the children dating back to the first orphan (innocent) in the 1400s. Also on display in this area were some of the personal items the children were left with, including half medallions or coins so that their parents could later claim them.
On the ground level, you can roam around and see the original architecture of the building. The rest of the museum includes a Gallery of Frescoes (fabulous), an art gallery (just as spectacular) and a caffe (gorgeous views of the city). There are educational sections of the museum for children and there is also a rich archive (off limits to visitors though). The Historical Archives preserve the memory of the ancient hospital and those who lived there.This museum evokes the Florentine Renaissance and its new conception of man.
History of the Institute
“In 1419, the Corporazione dell’Arte della Seta di Por Santa Maria was commissioned to build the Hospital of Santa Maria degli Innocenti thanks to a donation of 1,000 florins from the Prato merchant Francesco Datini earmarked for the shelter of abandoned children. The design of the building was entrusted to Filippo Brunelleschi, at that time also engaged in the construction of the dome of Florence Cathedral. The Ospedale degli Innocenti thus became “the place of beauty” designated to take in abandoned children.
The hospital was inaugurated on February 5, 1445, with the arrival of the first newborn, who was given the name Agata e Smeralda, in honor of the saint of the day. The facility offered shelter to girls and babies left anonymously in the stack under the outside loggia, later replaced with a iron window, still visible today near the entrance to the Institute. Children upon arrival were placed in the care of an in-house wet nurse service: poor women, often single girls or mothers of children taken in by the institution itself. As time went on, the external nannies, to whom the little ones were sent, became much more numerous. They lived preferably in the countryside, because it was believed that the climate and wholesome food favored the production of good milk, useful for the growth of the exposed ones. Those who survived the high infant mortality rate of the time would then return to the Institute: the boys to attend school and learn a trade, the girls to learn weaving or to do domestic work with the wealthy families of Florence, earning the dowry that would allow them to marry or more rarely to enter the convent.” (Museum website)
In the 1500s, the curriculum was expanded to music, painting, abacus, sewing, and weaving. Girls were taught to read and write, as well as boys. From the 1600s, the hospital grew with the times. “Beginning in the 1700s, attention also focused on safeguarding children’s health, developing specific areas of scientific investigation, promoted by distinguished physicians who were studying new methods of rearing and treating childhood diseases. It was during this era that the first experiments in artificial feeding, smallpox prevention, and the development of obstetric and pediatric science began.” (Museum website)
Although the patronage of the Institute changed over time, they continued to support the children of Florence…even through two world wars. This museum uniquely tells the story of those often forgotten in society–the poor. Florence is filled with art and treasures; it is truly an abbundance of riches. I know that most first-timers already have a list of sites to see, but if you’re looking for a lesser-visited, unique, quality experience, I suggest the Museo degli Innocenti.
Happy travels! Amy
Museum Website:
https://www.museodeglinnocenti.it/en/museo/storia/
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Rosary beads left with Luigi, 1833 
Half medallion so parents could reclaim child 
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