Fondazione Floriani

Fondazione Floriani is an Italian non-profit foundation established in 1977 through a donation by Virgilio and Loredana Floriani. Its mission is to spread and apply palliative care — care that addresses the physical, psychological, spiritual and social suffering of incurable patients. The foundation operates as an apolitical, non-denominational entity without profit motive, and its activities are defined by Article 3 of its statute: promoting scientific research into new palliative care methods and techniques; fostering the learning and dissemination of those techniques; preparing and organising operational structures for home care and assistance, including within or in connection with public institutions; transferring its expertise to help create new care centres; raising public awareness; and encouraging Italian universities to establish chairs and courses in palliative medicine. Fondazione Floriani has played a pioneering role in the development of palliative care in Italy. In 1980 it established the first Italian home palliative care unit at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan. In 1984, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, it promoted pain-control guidelines that were disseminated worldwide. In 1986 it created the Associazione Amici della Fondazione Floriani (AAFF), a support association that has been registered in Italy's RUNTS since 2026, and it also contributed to the founding of the Società Italiana di Cure Palliative. In 1988 it supported the creation of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC). The foundation's work spans care, science and culture. Its library began scientific and cultural activities in 1993, the same year it began collaborating with the hospice of the Pio Albergo Trivulzio in Milan, the first public hospice in Italy. In 1999 its ethics committee published the Charter of the Rights of the Dying. In 2006 the Hospice Virgilio Floriani was inaugurated at the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan. The foundation has contributed to European research and guideline initiatives, including the first European centre for palliative care research in Trondheim, Norway (2009), the revision of EAPC guidelines on opioid use in cancer pain (2010), and the dissemination of the SICP consensus document on ALS care (2011). Today Fondazione Floriani ETS continues to operate through assistance and care programmes, training (FF Formazione), publications, research and public awareness. It organises scientific conferences, awards degree prizes dedicated to the medicine of complexity and palliative care, and promotes initiatives such as the Carta di Milano. Its founders and leaders have received civic and medical honours, including the Ambrogino d'oro to Virgilio Floriani (1985) and to Francesca Crippa Floriani (2006), and the Medaglia d'oro al merito della sanità pubblica to Francesca Crippa Floriani (2005).

Fondazione Floriani was established in 1977 through a donation by Virgilio and Loredana Floriani. Its founding purpose was to address the suffering of incurable patients by promoting and applying palliative care in Italy, a field that was then in its infancy. The foundation was constituted as an apolitical, non-denominational, non-profit entity, with its aims set out in Article 3 of its statute. In 1980 the foundation established the first Italian home palliative care unit at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan. This marked a turning point in Italian healthcare, introducing the model of home-based palliative care for terminally ill patients. In 1984, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, Fondazione Floriani promoted pain-control guidelines that were disseminated worldwide, helping to shape international standards for cancer pain management. In 1986 the Associazione Amici della Fondazione Floriani (AAFF) was created to support and promote the foundation's activities; it was registered in Italy's Anagrafe Unica delle Onlus from 2012 and in the RUNTS from 2026. In the same year, with the foundation's contribution, the Società Italiana di Cure Palliative (SICP) was founded. In 1988, with the support of Fondazione Floriani and on the initiative of a group of European physicians, the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) was created as a non-profit organisation. In 1993 the foundation's library began its scientific and cultural activities, and the foundation started collaborating with the hospice of the Pio Albergo Trivulzio in Milan, the first public hospice in Italy. In 1999 the foundation's ethics committee published the Carta dei diritti dei morenti (Charter of the Rights of the Dying), a landmark document in Italian palliative care. In 2006 the Hospice Virgilio Floriani was inaugurated at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan, providing a dedicated facility for palliative care. In 2008 the foundation organised the congress 'Caring versus Curing - Prendersi cura della fragilità: continuità assistenziale nel terzo millennio' at the University of Milan. In 2009 it contributed to the creation of the first European centre for palliative care research in Trondheim, Norway. In 2010 it contributed to the revision of the EAPC guidelines on opioid use in cancer pain, and in 2011 to the dissemination of the SICP consensus document 'SLA: accanto a malato e famiglia, con quale percorso di cura?'. Over the decades, Fondazione Floriani has expanded its activities into training (FF Formazione), publications, research and public awareness. It organises scientific conferences, awards degree prizes dedicated to the medicine of complexity and palliative care, and promotes initiatives such as the Carta di Milano. Its founders and leaders have received significant honours: Virgilio Floriani received the Ambrogino d'oro from the Mayor of Milan in 1985; Loredana Floriani received the Rosa Camuna prize from Regione Lombardia in 2001, and the EAPC instituted the 'Lecture Floriani' in memory of Virgilio Floriani in the same year; Francesca Crippa Floriani received the Medaglia d'oro al merito della sanità pubblica in 2005 and the Ambrogino d'oro di benemerenza civica from the City of Milan in 2006. Today the foundation continues to operate as Fondazione Floriani ETS, pursuing its mission of care, science and culture.

• 2026

  The Carta di Milano is presented at the scientific event 'Cinquant'anni con cura. Accanto alla fragilità'; the AAFF is registered in the RUNTS.

• 2011

  Contributes to the dissemination of the SICP consensus document 'SLA: accanto a malato e famiglia, con quale percorso di cura?'.

• 2010

  Contributes to the revision of the EAPC guidelines on opioid use in cancer pain.

• 2009

  Contributes to the creation of the first European centre for palliative care research in Trondheim, Norway.

• 2008

  Congress 'Caring versus Curing - Prendersi cura della fragilità: continuità assistenziale nel terzo millennio' is organised at the University of Milan.

• 2006

  Hospice Virgilio Floriani is inaugurated at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan; Francesca Crippa Floriani receives the Ambrogino d'oro di benemerenza civica from the City of Milan.

• 2005

  Francesca Crippa Floriani receives the Medaglia d'oro al merito della sanità pubblica from Minister of Health Girolamo Sirchia.

• 2001

  Loredana Floriani receives the Rosa Camuna prize from Regione Lombardia; the EAPC institutes the 'Lecture Floriani' in memory of Virgilio Floriani.

• 1999

  The foundation's ethics committee publishes the Carta dei diritti dei morenti (Charter of the Rights of the Dying).

• 1993

  The foundation's library begins its scientific and cultural activities; collaboration starts with the hospice of the Pio Albergo Trivulzio in Milan, the first public hospice in Italy.

• 1988

  With the foundation's support, the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) is created.

• 1986

  Associazione Amici della Fondazione Floriani (AAFF) is created; the Società Italiana di Cure Palliative is founded with the foundation's contribution.

• 1985

  Virgilio Floriani receives the Ambrogino d'oro from the Mayor of Milan.

• 1984

  In collaboration with the World Health Organization, promotes pain-control guidelines disseminated worldwide.

• 1980

  Establishes the first Italian home palliative care unit at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan.

• 1977

  Fondazione Floriani is founded through a donation by Virgilio and Loredana Floriani.

Pioneering Italian non-profit foundation in palliative care, combining direct care, scientific research, training and public advocacy.

• Home palliative care units

  Operational structures for home care and assistance, including within or in connection with public institutions.

• Hospice Virgilio Floriani

  Hospice inaugurated in 2006 at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan.

• FF Formazione

  Training school offering courses in-house, on commission, and via distance learning (FAD).

• Library and publications

  Scientific and cultural library active since 1993, producing publications on palliative care.

• Research programmes

  Promotes studies and scientific research into new palliative care methods and techniques.

1. 1Home - Fondazione Florianifondazionefloriani.eu
2. 2FF Chi siamo - Fondazione Florianifondazionefloriani.eu
3. 3Fondazione Floriani - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Fondazione Floriani - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org