Outside the Gemelli Hospital in Rome stands a large statue of one of its most famous patients, Pope John Paul II. Made of white Carrara marble, it depicts the pontiff in his later years, stooping and clutching a crucifix, his brow furrowed in pain.

Doctors at the Gemelli Hospital helped save John Paul’s life after he was shot in a failed assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square in May 1981. He underwent a six-hour operation to remove a bullet from his abdomen.

It was the first time a Pope had been treated at Rome’s largest hospital. Among the hospital’s current patients is Pope Francis, who was admitted last week with a respiratory infection. He has been diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

Over the course of his 25-year-long pontificate, John Paul was admitted around 10 times, sometimes for prolonged stays.

He received treatment for various illnesses, including a benign intestinal tumour, a broken hip and a tracheotomy, when his Parkinson’s disease was at an advanced stage.

The Gemelli, which is a Catholic teaching hospital, opened in the 1960s. With more than 1500 beds, it is one of the biggest private hospitals in Europe.