Founded in 1896, the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute from the very beginning was interlocked with the progress of orthopaedics and traumatology in Italy and worldwide, especially thanks to the first directors, Alessandro Codivilla and Vittorio Putti.

The historical aspect though is also due to the location and the complex that houses the Rizzoli Hospital: the Monastery of San Michele in Bosco. The history of this monumental complex dates back at least to the XIVth century.