Hospital of St. Pantaleon

 (14th century)

piazzale San Rocchetto

Corrado Lambertenghi, canon of the cathedral, founded this hospital and reserved his family the right to appoint the rector. In the second half of the 15th century its incorporation with hospitale novum (hospital of St. Anne) failed due to the Lambertenghis’ opposition, and St. Pantaleon’s kept its charitable purpose for a long time as, still in 1867, ten poor old people were freely accommodated there, each of them enjoying his own room with vegetable garden. In the second half of the 1800s, because of the extinction of the patrons’ family, the property of the hospice was transferred to the Congregazione di Carità (Congregation of Charity) who alienated it. The building was demolished in 1876.

What documents tell us…

From Corrado Lambertenghi’s last will, 1323

…and if Zandus, his son and heir, and his male descendants died without any children, the properties inherited from Corrado would have to be given to friars and nuns of the new hospital built under Corrado’s wish in the name of God, the Virgin and Blessed Pantaleon outside the city walls, in a locality called ad Castrum Novum, underneath the Preachers’ cloister, near Torrente Cosia. Salando himself and his male heirs, on the occasion of Blessed Pantaleon’s feast would have to give to charity two burdens of corn and loaves of wheat and rye of eight ounces each…

From the records of town council, 1433

Since the podestà affirms (…) that a great number of pilgrims and other poor visitors complained that they had received neither hospitality nor handouts both inside and outside the city, with great disgrace for nobles and citizens of Como, and since an appreciable number of hospitals, richly equipped by the inhabitants of Como, are set in the city in order to lodge and give donations to the needy, St. Pantaleon’s minister promises, in the presence of the Savi di provvisione (The Wisest in the city council), he should prepare two beds and lodge the poor.

From the report about  Bishop Feliciano Ninguarda’s pastoral visitation, 1599

On All Souls’ Day the hospital is bound to distribute to the poor, according to the base measuring unit used in Como, four staja of corn bread, three of wine and one of legumes for Tommaso Lambertenghi’s soul, as established in his last will.

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Main photo. St. Pantaleon’s church, 1876 (thanks to Musei Civici di Como, Archivio fotografico M.C. di Como)

Below. Lombard painter, Frontal with St. Pantaleon, 17th century (Laino, St. Laurence’s church)