Florence Nightingale - Florence, Italy
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 46.092 E 011° 15.731
32T E 682075 N 4848614
A memorial to English nurse and founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale is located in the cloister of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy
Waymark Code: WM11WYE
Location: Toscana, Italy
Date Posted: 01/01/2020
Views: 2
On a wall of the large cloister of the Basilica di Santa Croce memorial to Florence Nightingale "The Lady with the Lamp" created in 1913 by Francis William Sargant. An 2' high oval medallion with a full length sculpture of Florence Nightingale dressed in flowing robes and holding an oil lamp across her chest in her right hand is placed above a memorial plaque.
Below the medallion is the Latin Inscription HORAM NESCITIS KNOW NOT THE HOUR. A reference to the gospel of Matthew: 25, 13 - "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
The plaque is inscribed in Italian:
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
MDCCCXX - L'EROINA DI CRIMEA - MDCCCCX
LA SIGNORA DALLA LAMPADA - COME LA CHIAMA-
RONO I SOLDATI, CHE LA EBBERO INFERMIERA
MIRABILE, NELLE NOTTI DI SPEDALE ANGOSCIOSE
E FIN D'ALLORA ANIMATRICE CON LA VIRTU'
DELL'ESEMPIO, A QUELL'OPERA VOLONTARIA
DI PIETA' INTERNAZIONALE, CHE POI FU LA
CROCE ROSSA, HA NELLA SUA FIRENZE, DOVE NAC-
QUE E NE PORTO' IL NOME GENTILE, QUESTO
RICORDO DI VENERAZIONE E D'AFFETTO.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
MDCCCXX - THE HEROINE OF CRIMEA - MDCCCCX
THE LADY WITH THE LAMP, AS THE SOLDIERS CALLED HER, HAVING IN HER SUCH A WONDERFUL NURSE , IN THE PAINFUL HOSPITAL NIGHTS , AND SINCE THEN A GUIDING SPIRIT WITH THE VIRTUE OF THE EXAMPLE, TO THAT VOLUNTARY WORK OF INTERNATIONAL MERCY, THAT BECAME THE RED CROSS, HAS IN HER FLORENCE, WHERE SHE WAS BORN AND OF WHICH CARRIED THE KIND NAME, THIS MEMORY OF VENERATION AND OF AFFECTION.
|
Florence Nightingale was born in and named after the city of Florence, Italy May 12, 1820. Her parents were wealthy British citizens that were traveling in Italy. She developed a strong desire to devote her life to the service of others and entered the field of nursing in 1844.
She gained great fame during the Crimean War (1853-1856). She trained a staff of 38 women volunteer nurses to treat the wounded.They arrived in the Ottoman Empire in November 1854 and introduced more sanitary practices and was able to sharply reduce the death rate. During her tenure she earned the nickname "The Lady with the Lamp".
After the war Nightingale became the first recipient of the Royal Red Cross. In 1904, she was appointed a Lady of Grace of the Order of St John and she became the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit. In 1912, the International Committee of the Red Cross instituted the Florence Nightingale Medal, for service to nursing.
She died in London on August 13, 1910 at age 90 and is buried in churchyard of St Margaret's Church, East Wellow, Hampshire, England.