Feb. 23, 2026 : For centuries, Rome has offered mothers in crisis another way.
In 1198, Pope Innocent III ordered the construction of the first “foundling wheel” after learning that abandoned newborns were being thrown into the Tiber River. That simple wooden mechanism, built beside Santo Spirito in Sassia, went on to save thousands of lives and inspired a network of infant care across Europe.
Today, the mission continues through modern “baby boxes” in hospitals like Rome’s Policlinico Casilino—equipped with medical safeguards, complete anonymity, and immediate neonatal care.
From the Middle Ages to the present, the message remains the same: “Don't abandon your baby, but entrust him or her to us.”
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