The Ospedale del Ceppo is a former hospital that operated continuously from the 13th century until 2013, making it one of the longest-running hospitals in the world. What draws visitors today is the remarkable frieze that runs along the top of its 16th-century portico: a continuous band of glazed terracotta by Giovanni della Robbia depicting the Seven Works of Mercy in vivid colour against a blue background. The figures are lively and specific — you can read the facial expressions even from the street below.
The hospital building has been restored and is now open as a museum, with an exhibition on its history and an anatomical theatre from the 18th century that was used for medical education. The anatomical theatre is small but interesting — wooden galleries around a central dissection table, with instruments displayed in cases. The frieze is viewable from the street, but entering the museum gives access to the ground-floor loggia where the terracotta can be examined at closer range.