<P> The Ospedale Maggiore, traditionally named Ca' Granda (i.e. Big House), in Milan, northern Italy, was constructed to house one of the first community hospitals, the largest such undertaking of the fifteenth century . Commissioned by Francesco Sforza in 1456 and designed by Antonio Filarete it is among the first examples of Renaissance architecture in Lombardy . </P> <P> The Normans brought their hospital system along when they conquered England in 1066 . By merging with traditional land - tenure and customs, the new charitable houses became popular and were distinct from both English monasteries and French hospitals . They dispensed alms and some medicine, and were generously endowed by the nobility and gentry who counted on them for spiritual rewards after death . </P> <P> According to Geoffrey Blainey, the Catholic Church in Europe provided many of the services of a welfare state: "It conducted hospitals for the old and orphanages for the young; hospices for the sick of all ages; places for the lepers; and hostels or inns where pilgrims could buy a cheap bed and meal". It supplied food to the population during famine and distributed food to the poor . This welfare system the church funded through collecting taxes on a large scale and possessing large farmlands and estates . </P> <P> Catholic women played large roles in health and healing in medieval and early modern Europe . A life as a nun was a prestigious role; wealthy families provided dowries for their daughters, and these funded the convents, while the nuns provided free nursing care for the poor . </P>

Who created the model for and is credited with the genesis of blue cross hospital l insurance