Introduction to Medical Humanities: Medicine and the Italian Artistic Heritage

This book explores the human experience of illness, disability, care, and medical intervention through an integrated and interdisciplinary approach, emphasizing the relationship between medicine and the arts. Contributions by scholars from various fields challenge a reductive conception of medicine and highlight the cultural significance of Padua, known as the cradle of modern medicine and the "nursery of arts."

Format: Hardback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This comprehensive and interdisciplinary book explores the multifaceted human experience of illness, disability, care, and medical intervention. In the era of advanced technology-driven medicine, it is essential to rekindle and foster the neglected relationship between medicine and the arts. This textbook features contributions from scholars across various disciplines, providing valuable insights into the realm of illness, medicine, and the roles of physicians and nurses. Each chapter challenges the narrow view of medicine as solely capable of biological explanations of illness.

The editors of this book are researchers based in Padua, a city renowned as the cradle of modern medicine. Galileo Galilei, a prominent figure in the history of medicine, taught at the University of Padua for eighteen years and pioneered the scientific method there. Simultaneously, Padua flourished as a "nursery of arts," as Shakespeare aptly described. During the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, Padua emerged as a hub of remarkable and distinctive artistic culture, thanks to artists like Giotto, Donatello, and Titian. Furthermore, the city of Saint Anthony is deeply rooted in a religious spirit strongly focused on charity, with a strict connection between its history and the history of its hospital.

This textbook serves as a valuable resource for students pursuing studies in medicine, nursing, bioethics, psychology, theology, and the history of art. It offers a holistic perspective on the human experience of health and illness, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between medicine, art, and society.

Weight: 456g
Dimension: 158 x 242 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031049187
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022