In 1456, upon entering Milan as its new ruler after a period of war, Francesco Sforza sought to gain the trust of the Milanese people. The opportunity arose from the unfinished hospital reform in the city. At the time, the administration of Milan’s hospitals had been unified under the control of a council elected by the bishop and representatives of the charitable schools, but a new central hospital had yet to be built.  

To address this, Sforza donated lands near Porta Romana for the construction of a big medical facility. That same year, the foundation stone was laid, and the Pope granted an indulgence to the benefactors of the new institution, also establishing a new religious celebration, the Festa del Perdono (Feast of Forgiveness).  

The magnificent hospital, one of the largest of its time, was completed over the next 50 years with the collaboration of architect Antonio Averlino, known as Filarete, who infused it with a Renaissance style. The structure was inspired by the design of Tuscan hospitals, featuring spacious cross-shaped naves where patients were housed and 9 elegant cloisters surrounded by additional buildings essential to hospital life, such as a pharmacy, infirmary, kitchens, baths, stables, ovens, & storage rooms.  

The hospital was not only home to the sick, poor, and abandoned children but also to many of its attendants and nurses, most of whom were volunteers, as well as doctors. Together, they formed a single community united by Christian charity. The hospital’s activities ranged from medical care to food distribution and almsgiving, effectively serving as an early form of civic welfare.  

The new hospital treated general illnesses, while the smaller, older hospitals that were incorporated into it specialized in specific diseases. To finance its operations, the hospital council carefully managed the assets donated by the population over time.  

Known as the *Ca' Granda* (Great House), the hospital became a central institution in the community, embodying the city's charitable spirit by providing aid to those in need. It continued its medical and humanitarian mission until 1956 when it began a new chapter as the home of the University of Milan.