L’acropoli ospedaliera napoletana: dagli Incurabili alla riconversione di un’area conventuale in cliniche universitarie

In the north-west area in the Naples city wall, originally part of the Greek acropolis, churches and monasteries were concentrated. Here, at the beginning of the XVIth century, Maria Lorenza Longo founded the Incurabili (Incurables) hospital, which developed quickly; in a century it had reached its present shape, like the neighbouring convents, becoming the reference point for this part of the city. A network was established between hospitals and convents, which led to the transformation of almost all religious buildings first into hospital (during the French decade) and then into university clinics (after the Italy’s unification).