Corsia Sistina The
Corsia Sistina (
Italian for "Sixtine Aisle"), erected for the will of Sixtus IV after grieves, sacks and fires, is the main building of the hospital. Surmounted by an octagonal tower, the Corsia is an immense hall, 340 ft long and 40 ft wide, divided into two sections separated by a lantern: the two rooms were called "Lower Wing" and "Upper Wing". The lantern, that puts the rooms into contact, has two levels: on the outer side it shows two- and three-mullioned windows, ascribed to the architect Giovanni Pietro Ghirlanducci from
Parma, while the internal side is decorated with shell-shaped
niches, housing statues of the
Apostles, and barrel-vaulted intradosses with
coffers, arguably due to the florentine architect and
ébéniste Giovannino de' Dolci. In the middle of the lantern rises an altar, probably the only Roman work by
Andrea Palladio; behind the altar formerly there was a pipe organ, whose music gladdened the ill during their stay. In the prostyle of the lantern there is one of the two main entrances of the ancient Sixtine hospital; it has a double gate: the inner one, called "Gate of Paradise", is ascribed to
Andrea Bregno. Close to the gate of Bregno there is the
ruota degli esposti (baby hatch), created by Innocent III for the reception of the orphans. The other entrance of the hospital, portrayed by
Sandro Botticelli into a fresco of the
Sistine Chapel, is preceded by a large portico with octagonal pillars. In 1478, the walls of the Corsia were frescoed with a frieze made by more than fifty scenes, depicting the origins of the hospital of Innocent III and the most important episodes of the life of Sixtus IV. The fresco was painted by artists of the so-called "Umbro-Roman School", such as
Melozzo da Forlì,
Domenico Ghirlandaio,
Pinturicchio and
Antoniazzo Romano. The cycle of the frescoes, depicting the origin of the hospital and a few episodes about Innocent III, starts from the east wall and continues till the south wall; here starts the depiction of the life and deeds of Sixtus IV. The most important episodes include the killing of the kids thrown into the
Tiber, the dream of Innocent III and the fishermen showing kids corpses to Innocent III. The dream described in the fresco was the one that persuaded Innocent III to found the
Schola of the Saxons, the former seat of the Hospital. The complex of the Ospedale di Santo Spirito lies over an area that, in ancient Rome, was occupied by the villa of
Agrippina the Elder (wife of
Germanicus and mother of
Caligula): in some rooms below the Corsia Sistina, remains of
opus reticulatum walls, mosaic floors, carved marbles and frescoes are still visible.
Cloisters of the Friars and of the Nuns After building the "Lower Wing" of the Corsia Sistina, Pope Sixtus IV erected two religious edifices at the service of the foundation, one for the friars and the other for the nuns. Both edifices overlook a rectangular cloister, bordered by a double
loggia with arches resting on
ionic columns; the refectory and the kitchen were in common. The two cloisters, though very similar at all appearances, nevertheless show subtle but substantial differences: the Cloister of the Nuns has an additional arch and shows the coat of arms of Sixtus IV on the transom of the doors and windows; the same coat of arms is also visible in the middle of the
groin vaults in the corners. Furthermore, in 1479 some rooms within the edifice of the nuns were used as an hospice for the nobles and later for the nurses taking care of the abandoned children. In 1791 twelve columns of the Cloister of the Friars and ten columns of the Cloister of the Nuns were removed by the nephews of
Pius VI, who re-employed them in the Honour Grand Staircase of
Palazzo Braschi. In the middle of both cloisters a fountain rises: the most important is the one in the Cloister of the Nuns, called "Fountain of the Dolphins", an example of refined 16th-century elegance, attributable to
Baccio Pontelli. In addition to the Cloisters of the Friars and of the Nuns, the hospital has a third cloister, located within the porticoes of the "Ancient Conservatory". This cloister is surrounded by a garden with a simple but elegant well in the middle.
Palazzo del Commendatore Palazzo del Commendatore (
Italian for "Palace of the Knight Commander"), a 16th-century enlargement of the complex, was erected under the pontificate of
Pius V and dedicated to Monsignor Bernardino Cirillo,
Commendatore from 1556 to 1575, regarded as one of the most famous
Commendatori of the institute. The palace overlooks a quadrangular courtyard bordered by a double loggia with arches resting on
doric columns in the lower loggia and on
ionic columns in the upper one. The ceiling of the lower portico is a ribbed vault, that of the upper portico is wooden; the area of the courtyard houses an impluvium, on the model of the houses in ancient Rome. The central arch of the lower loggia hosts a fountain erected by
Paul V as a decoration for the
Palace of the Vatican and later moved to the Palazzo del Commendatore by
Alexander VII. The upper loggia, in correspondence to the fountain, shows a big clock surrounded by the coat of arms of the family of Cardinal Ludovico Gazzoli. The face of the clock is framed by the figure of a snake touching its own tail, symbol of eternity; on both sides there is a cross with two horizontal axes, symbol of the Holy Spirit. On the left of the main entrance of the courtyard there is the door of the ancient
Spezieria (
spicery) of the Hospital, lately restored and still containing its wonderful and a rich collection of fine pictures. On the right of the main entrance are the
Accademia Lancisiana and the grand staircase, giving access to the first floor of the Palazzo and to the upper loggia, which shows a plaster impression of a low-relief by
Antonio Canova depicting a lesson of anatomy. The walls of the upper loggia are entirely decorated with frescoes commissioned by Cardinal Teseo Aldrovandi to the painter Ercole Pelillo from
Salerno; they show landscapes,
panoplies and
grotesques. The loggia gives access, through a double doorway, to the Apartment of the
Commendatore, consisting of many rooms decorated with magnificent tapestries, ancient furniture and sculptures, among which a Virgin with the Child by
Andrea del Verrocchio. The most eminent room is the Gala Hall, called
Salone del Commendatore; this room was interely frescoed by the brothers
Jacopo and Francesco Zucchi, who portrayed the history of the Hospital, from the dream of Pope
Innocent III, to Pope
Sixtus IV visiting the building sites, up to the whole, diversified endeavour carried out by the Institution (see the paragraph
Corsia Sistina). Each scene simulates a tapestry bordered by draperies, on which the coats of arms of Santo Spirito, with its typical "Cross of Lorraine", and of the Aldrovandi family are alternately represented. Finally, the corners of the room are decorated with pictures of festoons and fruits.
Biblioteca Lancisiana The Room of the
Commendatore, as well as the upper loggia, give access to the Biblioteca Lancisiana, founded in 1711 by
Giovanni Maria Lancisi, an eminent scholar and the doctor of Pope
Innocent XI, who made this library the heart of his project for the promotion of scientific culture. The library was inaugurated in 1714 in the presence of Pope
Clement XI. It is composed of two large halls: the first one has an atrium and a vestibule; the second one, the former part of the library, has 16 wooden shelves. The collections of books comprise the Lancisi collection, made with books donated by the King of France
Louis XIV, the Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo III, and Prince Fürstenberg. The library also conserves 373 valued manuscripts from 14th to 20th century, among which two parchment
codices with
Latin translations of texts by
Avicenna and the well-known
Liber Fraternitatis Sancti Spiritus. A little window, located behind one of the walls of the library, opens up at the level of the frescoes of the Corsia Sistina: it allowed the various
Commendatori who managed the Institute to check up on the staff responsible for the care of the sick. In the middle of the main hall of the library there are two magnificent globes made in 1600. == Church ==