Padova

Interactive medical museum in historic Hospital of San Francesco Grande featuring pharmaceutical artifacts from 1416-1789 hospital, University of Padua medical school materials, and interactive pharmaceutical chemistry exhibits. MUSME (Museum of History of Medicine in Padova) opened in 2015 and is housed in the historic Hospital of San Francesco Grande, which operated as Padua's first public hospital from 1416 to 1789. This revolutionary medical museum represents a groundbreaking achievement in healthcare education, as it was here that medical students first began learning clinical practice at patients' bedsides, establishing the foundation for modern medical teaching. The museum masterfully combines historical artifacts from the University of Padua's renowned medical school with cutting-edge interactive technology, creating an immersive experience that traces medicine's evolution from ancient discipline to modern science. Visitors can explore ancient medical instruments and specimens, participate in multimedia games teaching human anatomy, virtually "leaf through" rare medical books normally inaccessible to the public, and experience a modern anatomical theater alongside temporary exhibitions. The 15th-century palazzo setting adds architectural significance to the museum experience, as this was where wealthy heiress Sibilia de'Cetto and Baldo Bonafari da Piombino financed the creation of what can be considered the first true hospital. The museum covers four main halls focusing on the history of the former hospital, the University of Padua's role in the Scientific Revolution, anatomy, and the development of medical sciences including physiology, pathology, and therapeutics.