Most people would never guess that the grand looking building complex with red bricks across from University Square is, in fact, a hospital. The Colțea Hospital was first opened in 1704 in a smaller house with just 24 beds. The novelty was that it was a public hospital, where all patients would be treated regardless of their wealth or social status. Colțea was modeled on the “Ospedale di San Lazzaro dei Medicanti” from Venice and became one of the first formal hospitals in Europe. Its founder can be seen in the courtyard: Mihail Cantacuzino has a splendid statue made from Carrara marble in 1869 by Karl Storck, one of Romania’s leading artists. The building was extended in 1888 and modernized between 2000 - 2011.