last year i got a good view of the inside of one of rome's largest hospitals (if not its largest). one of my friends was hospitalized in s. camillo, and i went regularly to visit her, but i don't remember taking or posting any pictures of it. i remember being impressed by there being a church on site, nuns and priests. i remember also being surprised by the shops and bar at the entrance of the hospital complex. patients could pay to use a tv. they expected to be moved from room to room while there. rooms were usually shared, with my friend having a chance to stay in a single room, a double, and a triple during her time there. i remember being surprised that patients were supposed to bring pajamas to wear while there, but they were responsible for washing them (which seems odd when you're supposed to be in bed!). overall, it was a big hospital with a clinical feel, and the reassuring presence of a chaplain, somewhere in the complex.
this year another friend is in a different hospital in rome. she is fortunate enough to be at the fatebenefratelli hospital on tiber island. i can walk over to visit her. this hospital is smaller, and situated on a tiny island that has housed the sick for thousands of years. and this hospital is full of religious and there are priests there who visit the patients regularly. it is older than s. camillo, and also homier. my friend there has a window overlooking the tiber and a bridge leading to her island. there is a balcony not far from her room with tables and chairs set up, some trees, and some beautiful views of the city. her other room overlooked a courtyard with fountain. that fountain impressed me so much, i took lots of pictures.
...but perhaps i'll content myself with posting these.
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