ABSTRACT
The article describes the oldest locations and buildings for the treatment of patients in Rijeka. According to historical sources, the first known site for health care and treatment was a hospital founded in the 14th or 15th century in the Old Town, in the St Sebastian Street, in which also existed a little church of the same name. It is not known for sure when the hospital was moved to a new location, to a house opposite the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Statute of Rijeka from 1530 mentions it under the name Hospital of St. Mary (hospitali Sanctae Mariae) but later changed its name to St. Spirit Hospital. It was named after the chapel located in the same block of buildings. As in the previous location, there was an orphanage and an almshouse within the hospital. The hospital and the orphanage operated in this building until 1822, when, at the initiative of the Municipality, they moved to Brajda, in an adapted complex of buildings of the former wax factory. The building of the former hospital has been adapted for residential use. At the end of World War II, the building was destroyed under aerial bombardment and later a new building was built in its place.
Subject(s)
Hospitals, Urban/history , Austria-Hungary , Croatia , History, 15th Century , History, 16th Century , History, 17th Century , History, 18th Century , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , History, MedievalABSTRACT
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a hospital for infectious diseases in the Zenikovic area was operating in Rijeka as a hospital - subsidiary of the City Hospital of St. Spirit. After purchasing the property of the naval captain Dionysius Jakovcic, the existing buildings were adapted, and several other buildings, necessary for the organization of an infectious hospital, were constructed in the early eighties of the 19th century. The terrain and buildings were divided into clean and unclean areas. The main building was adapted to the main facilities for treatment and accommodation, while the smaller building was used for economic purposes. Due to the increase of the capacity at the turn of the century, further adaptations were made, larger wooden barracks and other temporary facilities were also constructed. The terrain of the hospital was linked to two ambitious projects of the hospitals in Rijeka, which were created at the beginning of the 20th century but were not realized.The hospital operated until the twenties of the 20th century when this department together with the City Hospital was moved to the former Naval Academy complex, while the hospital area was given a new purpose in the interwar and postwar periods.
Subject(s)
Hospital Design and Construction/history , Hospitals, Isolation/history , Croatia , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , HumansABSTRACT
Parallel with the design of the main city hospital of Rijeka, architect Francesco Mattiassi between 1908 and 1912 made the project for the Infectious disease hospital which had to replace existing hospital - subsidiary. After some years of disputes regarding the location, decision was reached to place the new hospital onto the terrain Sv. Jelena na Plasama (St. Helen at Plase, today Pehlin). The infection disease complex was conceived as a pavilion, which was, because of better isolation, usual concept for this type of hospitals. Buildings are placed to merge with the greenery, connected with road and pedestrian paths. Inside the complex there were clean and unclean watch-houses, administration, utility and service pavilion, laundry-room, observation pavilion, four patients pavilions and necroscopy pavilion with crematorium furnace. Functionality, simplicity and temperance are the main characteristics of this, for the time very modern architecture with secession style marks. Even today, after more than hundred years, this unrealized visionary project, because of its high technical, artistic and conceptual level, still effects very contemporary and usable.
Subject(s)
Hospital Design and Construction/history , Hospitals, Urban/history , Croatia , History, 20th CenturyABSTRACT
In 1908, the City of Rijeka embarked on what would have been the biggest project ever. It planned to build a new city hospital that was to relieve the burden from the Saint Spirit Hospital, which could no longer meet local healthcare needs. The hospital was designed by one of Rijeka's finest architects, Francesco Matiassi and was to have 600 beds and cover an area of 40,000 sq m. In his design, Mattiassi implemented the programme and suggestions of the hospital head, Dr Antonio Grossich and the City technical department, headed by Luigi Luppis. The hospital complex was to be a combination of two types of buildings, common in hospital architecture of the time: the main building with a very complex floor plan, and four separate pavilions: mental illnesses, quarantine, post mortem, and services. The first three floors of the main building were intended for the departments of general medicine, surgery, gynaecology, maternity, infectious diseases, ophthalmology, and dermatology, and the remaining floors for patient reception, hospital supplies and utilities, administration, and staff. Glass-walled operating theatres, terraces for patients and facilities such as a large cloakroom bear witness to the designer's deep understanding of civil culture and architecture, which set high standards even in today's terms. Even though the project was too ambitious and even utopian for a city like Rijeka at the beginning of the 20th century, we cannot but regret that it has not seen the light of day at least in part.
