Apothecary of Santa Fina
In the Spezieria di Santa Fina, one of the places enclosed within the ancient Monastery of Santa Chiara along with the Archaeological Museum and the "Raffaele De Grada" Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, one can breathe in the scent of spices and herbs that harken back to distant times. Of ancient origin, the spezieria was born inside the Spedale di Santa Fina when in 1253, after lavish donations, they decided to use two rooms inside it as a spice shop. The structure was divided into two adjoining rooms that included the store, used for the sale of products, and a laboratory in charge of the preparation of medicines for the use of the Spedale; a set-up that is still faithfully reproduced today to let visitors relive the true essence of the historic pharmacy. There are numerous testimonies of the various medicines and remedies prepared during the eras of the city's history, such as the periods of the great plague epidemics around 1630. Honey, violets and roots are just some of the natural ingredients used as remedies within the dispensary and which were prepared directly in the apothecary's workshop.
On display in today's exhibit is a collection of precious 15th-18th century apothecary jars made of ceramics and glass, which still preserve some of the miraculous medicinal substances and balms whose recipe books were kept in ancient manuscripts. In addition, there are also furnishings and fittings from the ancient health institutions of historic San Gimignano with samples of glass objects made between the 16th and 18th centuries. In addition to the vases and utensils essential to the apothecary's shop, rare and ancient medicines that were used as ingredients for curative treatments, such as scorpion oil and mandrake, the latter considered a plant with magical properties, are also on display. Once out of the apothecary's shop, it is impossible not to stop in the atmospheric Orto di Santa Fina employed for the cultivation and study of herbs and flowers that once had both gastronomic and therapeutic uses for the dispensary itself.
