Founded in 1288 by Folco Portinari (father of Dante’s Beatrice), the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova is the oldest active hospital in Florence, Italy. Over the centuries, the hospital became one of the richest and most influential institutions in Florence. Most of the artistic masterpieces that once adorned the hospital are today located in the Museum of the Hospital of the Innocents, of San Marco, and the Uffizi Galleries. The 19th century “Cloister of the Bones” still bears an inscription in honor of Mona Tessa Portinari, who allegedly inspired the original patron. Buona visita!