The rebirth of the Farmacia Storica degli Incurabili: a treasure trove of science and art returned to Naples
After being closed for five years, one of the most precious jewels of Naples’ historical-artistic heritage reopened its doors on 30 November 2024: the Farmacia Storica degli Incurabili, together with the Museo delle Arti Sanitarie. A long-awaited return, celebrating the union of artistic beauty, scientific rigour and collective memory.
A Baroque masterpiece in the heart of Naples
Located in the monumental complex of the Hospital of Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili, founded by Maria Lorenza Longo in 1522, the Historical Pharmacy is the most extraordinary example of Enlightenment medicine in Naples. A place where art and science are harmoniously intertwined, a symbol of the hospital’s transformation from a place of charity to a modern institution of care.
Built to a design by architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro in 1729, the Pharmacy is articulated in a rigorous and fascinating itinerary: from the counter-speziary to the great hall and the laboratories. The spaces, separated with modern rationality, reflect the efficiency of a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical laboratory, without renouncing the refined aesthetics of Neapolitan baroque and rococo.
The art of curing
Entering the pharmacy means plunging into an ancient but perfectly preserved world. The countertop pharmacy welcomes visitors with a large walnut-root counter, a ceiling decorated with elliptical domes and walls lined with gilded scales containing ceramic vases, frescoed with imaginary landscapes and fantastic creatures. Some still contain residues of pharmaceutical preparations: resins, powders and liquids that evoke the alchemical and esoteric knowledge of the time.
Continuing on, one enters the great hall, reserved for meetings and forbidden to sell medicines, where the statue of Antonio Maggiocca, the jurist and governor of the Incurabili, towers, eloquently inviting us to contemplate the splendour of the room. The sliding doors, the gilded carvings by Gennaro Di Fiore, the majolica floor from the Massa workshop and the ceiling frescoed by Bardellino – with the painting Macaon Cures Wounded Menelaus – offer a unique visual experience.
The science of medicine
The Pharmacy was not only a place of beauty and representation: an intense activity of pharmaceutical preparation took place within it. Galenic and chemical medicines were produced in the laboratories, many of which can be found in the 18th-century recipe book. Among these, the famous Teriaca, preserved in a marble urn made by Crescenzio Trinchese, represented the panacea for every ill. This ancient preparation, already mentioned by Galen and containing opium, viper meat and medicinal herbs, was regulated by the State for its high therapeutic and symbolic value.
Alongside Teriaca, numerous remedies were made from mineral and animal substances: phytobezoars, teeth of marine fish, mercury and arsenic, used to treat serious diseases such as syphilis in pre-antibiotic times.
A training and research centre
The organisation of the pharmacy was meticulous. Every step, from prescription to delivery, was tracked and linked to the patient’s name. The director also acted as a trainer for the young apothecaries. Figures such as apothecaries, unctionaries, physicians and ceramists accessed the counter pharmacy to collect medicines, made according to scientific methods that anticipated modern medicine.
This attention to detail and training testifies to the enlightened vision of the Austrian viceroyalty, which saw pharmaceutical research as one of the frontiers of medical knowledge.
A heritage returned to the city
The reopening of the Historical Pharmacy of the Incurables represents much more than a cultural event: it is the return of an identity heritage to Naples, a place where the history of medicine is intertwined with art, alchemy and popular trust. A symbol of how science can dialogue with beauty, and how memory can come back alive, powerful and shared.
Today, thanks to the restoration work and dedication of scholars, craftsmen and institutions, this treasure chest of knowledge is once again accessible to the public. An invitation to rediscover our history, through the universal language of care.
The historic centre of Naples: an open-air museum
The reopening of the Historical Pharmacy of the Incurables fits perfectly into the context of the historic centre of Naples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A unique place in the world, where different eras coexist in an extraordinary balance: from Greco-Roman traces to medieval, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, passing through lively alleys, lively squares and noble palaces rich in stories and legends. Among the hidden underground marvels is Napoli Sotterranea, a fascinating itinerary that leads visitors through tunnels, ancient aqueducts and war shelters, revealing the city’s deepest and most mysterious soul. Walking in the heart of Naples means crossing centuries of history, art and culture, in a journey that stimulates all the senses and enriches the spirit. In this context, the Farmacia degli Incurabili represents a further piece of Neapolitan cultural heritage, guardian of a scientific and artistic memory that today more than ever deserves to be rediscovered.