Medical Practice and Prestige: Physicians' Conduct in Renaissance Venice, Padua and Verona

The life of doctors in Renaissance Italy was difficult and risky. They sometimes struggled to maintain moral authority and social status against the criticism of patients, the disparagement of peers and the demands of the community. Fortunately, help was available in the form of guides to conduct. Using evidence from physicians’ accounts, urban medical regulations, court records and other historical evidence, I analyse the web of social obligations and benefits that surrounded doctors. This illuminates the motives, concerns and power relations of physicians, broadening our appreciation of the social world of early modern medicine.