On July 5, the newest Semmelweis statue was inaugurated in Perugia, Italy The work of Kossuth Prize-winning artist Péter Párkányi Raab. In addition to the leaders of Semmelweis University, the Hungarian Ambassador to Italy, local and regional leaders, and leaders of the University of Perugia attended the inauguration. Rector of the University Dr. Bella Merkeli spoke at the ceremony about the further expansion of partnerships in Italy and the continuous strengthening of cooperation, emphasizing that Italian universities have always been reliable partners for us in the continuous expansion of the knowledge that Semmelweis has left us.
At the opening, Dr. Bella Merkley spoke about the excellent Italian scientific relations of Semmelweis University. “As the leading higher education institution in the region, the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, we consider it important not only to preserve the memory of Ignac Semmelweis, but also to constantly increase the knowledge he left us. Italian universities have been reliable partners for us for a long time, ”said the rector. , stressing that since 1987 the university has continued its academic cooperation with Italian universities such as Parma, Padua, Trieste, or La Sapienza in Rome. In 2020, Semmelweis also established a partnership with the University of Pisa, and within the framework of the EUniWell project, it also cooperates with the University of Florence, and this year a memorandum was signed with the University of Tuscany. The Rector also confirmed that 16 Italian students are currently studying at the Budapest Institution.
At the unveiling ceremony of the statue, among others, Dr. Odam Kovacs, the Hungarian ambassador to Italy, and the mayor of Perugia, Andrea Romesi, as well as other local and regional officials, as well as a delegation from the University of Perugia and the gynecological clinic (in front of which the statue was inaugurated).
d said. Bella Markle. “Ignác Semmelweis is one of the most famous doctors in the world, and their devotion to science, relentless desire to help, and humility still have a great impact on those who have dedicated their lives to the most beautiful profession in the world, which is healing. The statue in front of the gynecological clinic of the University Hospital of Perugia concluded Semmelweis Rector. Not only does it celebrate it, but it also proves that in the end, truth always wins, and science knows no bounds.”
On the occasion of the bicentenary of the birth of Ignac Semmelweis in 2018, the university decided to donate statues depicting the “Savior of the Mothers” to various foreign cities. The statue erected in front of the Santa Maria delle Misericordia Gynecological Clinic in Perugia is the 25th in a row, as there are a total of 15 statues outside Hungary in a total of 4 continents and in cities such as Tokyo, Los Angeles and Vienna. The artwork was donated by Semmelweis University and is the work of Kossuth Prize-winning artist Péter Párkányi Raab. It is the result of the collaboration of Laszlo Roseval, Chairman of the Semmelweis Memorial Committee.
Anita Sepese
Photo: Semmelweis University, MKFI
The article was published by the Directorate of Communications at Semmelweis University.
