Ospedale L'Albergo Reale dei'Poveri

The Ospedale L’Albergo Reale dei’Poveri was designed by the architect Fernando Fuga (1699-1782) and constructed in 1751 with a façade of over 350 metres. It was popularly known as Palazzo Fuga. King Carlos III of the House of Bourbon had engaged the Florentine master builder to construct the hospital as a visible symbol of his pious commitment (pietà illuminata) to improving the lot of the poor. The building was originally designed with five courtyards and a church in the centre, but in the event only the three innermost courtyards were constructed, and plans to complete the building according to the original design were finally abandoned in 1819. The building still stands - in fact it is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List - but in recent times it has been used for exhibitions, conferences, concerts and the like rather than as a hospital. Plans are afoot to convert it for use in youth work.