Farmacia storica dell'Ospedale di Imola

Imola’s historic hospital pharmacy preserves an eighteenth-century apothecary interior with carved cabinets, painted vaults and a collection of majolica drug jars. It belongs to the heritage of the Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scaletta.

Why it matters

The furnishings connect medical practice with local woodworking, painting and ceramics. Labels on the vessels preserve the names of preparations once stored in the pharmacy.

What to notice

The 457 majolica vessels were made in the Imola tradition during the second half of the eighteenth century. Giuseppe Magistretti created the carved wooden fittings. Paintings by Angelo Gottarelli and Alessandro Della Nave celebrate Medicine and the regenerative power of Nature. Six painted terracotta figures from the Ballanti-Graziani workshop decorate the upper walls.

Context and history

Inaugurated in 1794, the pharmacy formed part of the town’s hospital provision. Much of its interior decoration and equipment survived later changes, while the facade was remodelled in 1928. Together these elements preserve a record of pharmacy as both a medical workplace and a commissioned artistic interior.