The health service in Venice in the 17. and 18. century

Venice was a famous European city during the Renaissance, especially in its role as cultural and economic centre and it was the capital of the Republic of Venice or "Serenissima". The "Serenissima" was the first state in Europe to institute Healthcare Boards as a transitory measure in 1348 and on a permanent basis a century later, to deal with recurring epidemics. The Venetian healthcare service was adopted by various European countries and became the model on which the modern public national health service is based.