Scuola Grande di San Marco

The Scuola Grande is beside the Basilica of San Giovanni e Paolo and in the Campo of the same name.

Two large halls of the Scuole are home to a medical library which contains more than 8,000 volumes (many ancient) including those of Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) and Galeno amongst others. Some of the volumes show illustrations and diagrams of procedures for dealing with the common ailments of the time.

There’s also a small medical museum with display cases of old medical equipment used in various procedures including amputation, gynaecology and the ancient practice of drilling a hole in the skull (trepanation).

The Scuole Grandi (Great Schools) were confraternities founded as early as the 13th century as charitable and religious organizations for the laity. They had a major role in the history and development of music. It was in these places that the first groups of bowed instrument players named “Violoni” were developed at the beginning of 16th century.

The building was built in 1260 but in 1485 it was destroyed by a large fire and sunsequently rebuilt in the following twenty years under a new design by Pietro Lombardo.

Art in the Scuole includes works by Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto, Palma the younger, Padovanino, Schiavone and more.

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