Rome hospital integrates art into cancer radiotherapy treatment

A hospital on Rome's Tiber Island is utilizing art and culture to support cancer patients through the ‘Isola. ART’ program. The initiative integrates books, contemporary paintings, and views of ancient ruins into the radiotherapy environment to help patients rebuild their sense of self and desire for life following a diagnosis.

In addition to visual art and literature within the facility, the program offers guided cultural tours outside the hospital. The project, which began in 2013 at the Gemelli Polyclinic and has since expanded to other Italian hospitals, aims to foster resilience. Professor Vincenzo Valentini, director of the hospital's oncology center, describes the program as a way to ‘put life into places where people are afraid of losing it’ by providing aesthetic and cultural engagement during medical treatment.