Viterbo's Ex-Hospital Transforms into Borgo della Cultura Hub

The Borgo della Cultura project will repurpose the abandoned Complesso dell'Antico Ospedale Grande degli Infermi in Viterbo into a cultural hub. The complex, unused since the late 1970s, will house the Soprintendenza, an archive, co-working spaces, and the Casa del Pellegrino for Via Francigena pilgrims. The initiative is funded by 50 million euros from an agreement signed in January 2021 among the former Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (now Ministry of Culture), the Lazio Region, and the ASL of Viterbo. Covering 8,000 square meters across three adjacent buildings—the ex-hospital, Palazzo Marzano, and Palazzo Farnese—the hub will also include a restoration center, exhibition spaces, and event venues. Lazio Region President Nicola Zingaretti presented the project on June 1, 2021, stating it will mark the end of the Covid tragedy with Viterbo's productive, cultural, and economic rebirth. Culture Minister Dario Franceschini praised the collaboration and noted efforts to secure funding through the Recovery plan's Grandi Progetti Beni Culturali. Mayor Giovanni Arena suggested naming a space after recently deceased ballerina Carla Fracci. No completion date has been announced.