The history
The history of Villa Maria Group begins on 21st October 1973, when a clinic of 180 total beds, "Villa Maria", was inaugurated in Cotignola (Ra), on a land to the border with the Commune of Lugo, whose territory, composed by nine others Communes, included seven publics hospitals of indistinct vocation (for a total of 110.000 inhabitants).
Since the first moment, Villa Maria distingueshed istself from the rest of the private structures in Emilia Romagna because it made a precise choice: to direct the activity of the structure towards high specialty, like Cardiology and Cardiosurgery in particular, not much present in Region until that moment.
Villa Maria dedicated its activity to high specialised disciplines orienting its efforts towards complexes surgical operations with the aim to reverse the so-called "travels of hope" trend that until that moment forced hundred of patients to address abroad because in need of cardiovascular treatments and cares.
The idea was that to carry "inside home" illustrious surgeons of international reputation: therefore at the end of the seventies, Villa Maria hospital specialised itself in Cardiosurgery and gave life to one of the first Italian cardiosurgical private poles, receiving doctors known a lot to international level.
Besides valid italian professionals, thanks to which Villa Maria hospital was credited in international health outline, and operated also some foreigns cardiosurgeons that contributed to strengthen the image of the structure like: Carpentier, Neveux and Lessana from France; King from the United States; Senning and Turina from Switzerland; Yacoub and Wright from Great Britain; Bos from Holland and Byork, inventor of the homonumous cardiac valve, from Sweden.