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Medical competence, anatomy and the polity in seventeenth-century Rome
1The Open University.
Renaissance Studies : Journal of the Society for Renaissance Studies
|September 28, 2011
Summary
Two physicians in 1600s Rome, Johannes Faber and Giulio Mancini, navigated careers beyond medicine, influencing art, politics, and science. Their diverse activities reveal the complex roles physicians played in early modern Catholic society.
Area of Science:
- History of Medicine
- Early Modern European History
Background:
- Two physicians, Johannes Faber and Giulio Mancini, practiced in Rome (1600-1630).
- They were involved in Rome's cultural, economic, and political spheres.
- This period saw significant social and religious reorganization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore physicians' identity and self-fashioning strategies in early modern Italy.
- To analyze the multifaceted roles of physicians beyond clinical practice.
- To reassess the significance of anatomical investigations and hospitals in Catholic society.
Main Methods:
- Reconstructing career trajectories of Faber and Mancini.
- Analyzing their access to various societal segments, including the art market.
- Examining their writings, ranging from medico-legal advice to political essays and anatomical reports.
Main Results:
- Physicians like Faber and Mancini engaged in diplomatic, political, and artistic pursuits.
- Medical practice extended beyond bedside care, encompassing broader societal roles.
- Hospitals served as crucial sites for anatomical dissections for teaching and research.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the complex integration of physicians into the fabric of early modern Roman society.
- It underscores the importance of anatomical studies and hospital-based research in the period.
- Physicians' self-fashioning strategies were shaped by the unique social and religious landscape of Rome.
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