During the 15th century Florence was one of the major cities of the civilised world, with art, science and architecture all booming under the rule of the wealthy Medici family but alongside this the city also found itself faced with a major problem as many unwanted babies were being born and abandoned in the streets.

In Medieval and Renaissance Europe it was quite common for unwanted children to be rejected. In Florence the responsibility of raising these minors was given to the ‘Arte della Seta’ the Silk Guild which was one of the richest and most powerful guilds at the time. They decided that they would build a hospital to specifically care for the neglected infants and it would be called the ‘Ospedale degli Innocenti’ (Hospital of the Innocents).

To ensure the mothers anonymity a rotating door was installed where the unwanted babies could be dropped without the mother being seen. Once on the other side the child would drop down a small slide where they would be collected by a nurse. The young would then be raised at the orphanage and taught life skills with the girls learning how to sew and the boys learning how to read and write.

The hospital operated for over 500 years and during that period over 375,000 children were cared for.

The hospital turned museum now allows you to explore the architectural masterpiece built by Filippo Brunelleschi and learn about the history of this significant site. Within the museum you can also find a small art gallery which includes many interesting paintings and an ornate golden shrine dedicated to St Marius featuring a skull dressed in a crown of flowers which is perfectly complimented by the many intricate details in the tapestry which hangs behind it.