Ospedale di Parma
Ospedale di Parma, formally the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, is a major public university hospital in Parma, Italy, with roots dating to 1201 and a modern campus centred on the Ospedale Maggiore.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Ospedale di Parma — formally the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma — is a high-specialisation public hospital trust in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It operates in close partnership with the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Parma and provides diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative services. It is one of the largest hospital complexes in Emilia-Romagna and serves as the reference centre for trauma and neurosurgery for north-western Emilia. Its catchment area is centred on the provinces of Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia. According to the Italian Wikipedia entry, the hospital has 1,359 beds and recorded 51,516 admissions in 2007 across ordinary, day-hospital, urgent and high-specialty categories. It employs 3,150 staff, of whom 2,288 live in the city and 707 in the province. The institution's origins are medieval: the first hospital in Parma was built in 1201 near the church of Santa Maria in borgo Taschieri, traditionally attributed to the munificence of Rodolfo Tanzi and supported by the guilds of blacksmiths, cobblers, butchers and masons. In 1476 work began on a new hospital on strada Maestra di Santa Croce (today strada Massimo D'Azeglio), designed by Gian Antonio Da Erba, to consolidate the many smaller hospitals of the city and its surroundings. The large Renaissance building was completed in 1517 and divided into two sections, the Ospedale della Misericordia and the Ospizio degli Esposti, for the sick and for foundlings respectively. In 1548 the Consorzio dei vivi e dei morti took over its management. The hospital was expanded from 1587 under a design by Giovanni Francesco Testa, and in 1663 the oratory of Sant'Ilario was built inside it in honour of the city's patron saint, to whom the hospital was also dedicated. By the late 19th century the old building was increasingly inadequate for the growing population. Administrators abandoned further renovation and planned a new hospital. The first project was entrusted to engineer Guido Albertelli, but work proceeded slowly; on 7 December 1913 the Clinica Chirurgica, designed by engineer Enrico Bovio, was inaugurated. Difficulties led to a new site in the Prati di Valera area between via Emilia and via Abbeveratoia. A national competition was won in May 1914 by engineers Giulio Marcovigi and Ildebrando Tabarroni of Bologna, who planned 18 medical-surgical pavilions separated by avenues and divided into two sections for the Ospizi Civili and the University Clinics. Construction began on 31 October 1915 under engineer Alfredo Provinciali, was interrupted in August 1917 because of the First World War, and after the war financial difficulties forced a reduction in scope. The Ospedale civile di Parma was finally inaugurated on 23 August 1926 in the presence of Queen Margherita of Savoy and Duke Adalberto of Savoy-Genoa. Four external hospital sites were later built: Stuard, Ugolino da Neviano, Vighi and Rasori. Around 1970, the pavilion layout being unsuited to modern needs, work began on large monobloc poles; the Monoblocco was built first, and after 1990 two large structures for cardiac surgery and orthopaedics were added. Old pavilions were progressively renovated, and new buildings shifted the centre of gravity towards via Volturno, where a new main entrance was completed in 2007. In the same year reconstruction of the emergency department began, completed in 2010. In 2013 the new Children's Hospital, half-financed by private donors and named after Pietro Barilla, was inaugurated. The four external sites were gradually closed and sold off to concentrate all services on one campus; the last to close was Rasori in 2015. Emergency services have also been part of the hospital's history: from 1992, when the 118 emergency number was established in Italy, until 2011, the "Parma Soccorso" 118 control centre operated inside the Parma hospital in specially equipped rooms.
History
The first hospital of Parma was built in 1201 near the church of Santa Maria in borgo Taschieri, traditionally thanks to the munificence of Rodolfo Tanzi and at the behest of the guilds of blacksmiths, cobblers, butchers and masons. In 1476, on a design by Gian Antonio Da Erba, construction began on a new hospital on strada Maestra di Santa Croce (today strada Massimo D'Azeglio), intended to unite the many smaller hospitals of the city and its surroundings into a single structure. The large Renaissance building was completed in 1517 and divided into two sections, known as the Ospedale della Misericordia and the Ospizio degli Esposti, respectively for treating the sick and sheltering foundlings. In 1548 the Consorzio dei vivi e dei morti took over management of the structure. The hospital was expanded from 1587 on a design by Giovanni Francesco Testa, while in 1663 the oratory of Sant'Ilario was built inside it in honour of the city's patron saint, to whom the hospital was also dedicated. Further renovation and expansion work was carried out in subsequent centuries, but by the end of the 19th century the building proved increasingly inadequate due to the growth of the city's population. For this reason, administrators abandoned the idea of further renovating the old hospital, preferring to build a new one in a more suitable location. The first project was entrusted to engineer Guido Albertelli, who intended to build the structure on the Orto degli Incurabili and nearby land, in an area between the church of Santa Maria del Quartiere, the ring roads built a few years earlier on the site of the city walls, and via della Salute. Work began after some years and proceeded slowly due to the presence of surface aquifers; on 7 December 1913 the Clinica Chirurgica, designed by engineer Enrico Bovio, was finally inaugurated. The difficulties encountered led administrators to decide to build the new buildings in the Prati di Valera area, already belonging to the Ospizi Civili, between via Emilia and via Abbeveratoia. A national competition was announced, won in May 1914 by engineers Giulio Marcovigi and Ildebrando Tabarroni of Bologna, who planned 18 medical-surgical pavilions separated by avenues and divided into two sections, belonging to the Ospizi Civili and the University Clinics. The construction site, financed through the liquidation of the old Consorzio dei vivi e dei morti, was started on 31 October 1915 under the direction of engineer Alfredo Provinciali, after the outbreak of the First World War, but work proceeded slowly and was interrupted for war reasons in August 1917. At the end of the conflict, financial difficulties led to a reduction of the project, but the site was later restarted and the Ospedale civile di Parma was inaugurated on 23 August 1926 in the presence of Queen Margherita of Savoy and Duke Adalberto of Savoy-Genoa. Subsequently, four other external hospital sites were built: Stuard, Ugolino da Neviano, Vighi and Rasori. The pavilion layout of the Ospedale Maggiore, inadequate for modern needs, led to the start around 1970 of new work to build a few large poles to concentrate nearby and complementary activities; the Monoblocco was built first, and after 1990 two new large structures for cardiac surgery and orthopaedics were erected adjacent to it. While the old pavilions were gradually renovated, other buildings were constructed that shifted the centre of gravity towards via Volturno, where a new large entrance was also built in 2007; in the same year work began on rebuilding the emergency department, completed in 2010. In 2013 the new Children's Hospital was inaugurated, half-financed by private parties and named after Pietro Barilla. The four external sites were instead decommissioned and sold off one by one, with the aim of concentrating all the structures of the Ospedale Maggiore in a single location; the last to close was Rasori in 2015. Emergency services: from 1992, the year the 118 emergency number was officially established in Italy, until 2011, for 19 years, the "Parma Soccorso" 118 control centre operated inside the Parma hospital in specially equipped rooms. It was then transferred in February 2011 to premises on strada del Taglio in Parma, at the Unified Emergency Centre in the same complex as the command of the Parma municipal police and the NIP-Parma civil protection office. In October 2014 the centre became the 118 Emilia Ovest Operations Centre, where critical-area nurses answer emergency calls from the provinces of Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia, managing calls and activating ambulances and medical cars from Red Cross and Public Assistance stations in the three Emilian provinces.
- 2015
The last external site, Rasori, closes.
- 2014
In October the centre becomes the 118 Emilia Ovest Operations Centre, covering Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia.
- 2013
The new Children's Hospital, half-financed by private donors and named after Pietro Barilla, is inaugurated.
- 2011
The 118 control centre moves from the hospital to strada del Taglio in Parma in February.
- 2010
Reconstruction of the emergency department is completed.
- 2007
A new main entrance on via Volturno is completed and reconstruction of the emergency department begins.
- 1990
After 1990, two large structures for cardiac surgery and orthopaedics are built adjacent to the Monoblocco.
- 1970
Around 1970, work begins on large monobloc poles to replace the pavilion layout.
- 1926
The Ospedale civile di Parma is inaugurated on 23 August in the presence of Queen Margherita of Savoy and Duke Adalberto of Savoy-Genoa.
- 1917
Work is interrupted in August because of the First World War.
Products and positioning
High-specialisation public university hospital and regional reference centre for trauma and neurosurgery in north-western Emilia-Romagna.
Acute inpatient care
Day hospital services
Emergency and trauma care
Neurosurgery
Cardiac surgery
Orthopaedics
Paediatric hospital services
Diagnostic and rehabilitative services
Sources2 sources
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