Virdimura

Virdimura (fl. 1376) was a Sicilian Jewish doctor, the first woman officially certified to practice medicine in Sicily.[1]

Biography

Though few biographical details of Virdimura are known, she was a Jewish woman living in Catania, Sicily, in the 14th century.[2][3]

She was trained in the practice of Jewish medicine, perhaps by her husband, Pasquale de Medico of Catania, who was also thought to be a physician.[2][3][4][5][6] It is not known if Pasquale was Jewish or not.[7]

She obtained a royal license to practice medicine across the island of Sicily on November 7, 1376, with the approval of the doctors of King Frederick's royal court.[8][9] Virdimura was asked to complete exams for the certification.[6] Her patients also testified on her behalf, and the licensing documentation notes that the examiners took into consideration the "praise universally given her."[10][11]

With this, she became the first woman physician with this designation on the island. She subsequently traveled throughout Sicily treating patients.[2]

Virdimura particularly focused on treating poor and disabled patients, charging them less for her services than her male contemporaries.[2][4][12] This also likely meant that she treated both female and male patients, and both Jews and gentiles.[6][13]

Legacy

The International Virdimura Award, which recognizes doctors with a humanitarian mission, is named for her.[1]

A square in Catania, in the San Giovanni Galermo district, was also named in her honor in 2020.[14]

References
  1. Stranges, Paola (July 25, 2020). "Virdimura Award to Corinne Devin, from Miss United States to the Marines". Italiani. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  2. Vecchio Ignazio, Di Mauro S., Tornali Cristina, Rampello L., Migliore M. (2013). "Jewish Medicine and Surgery in Catania, Italy Before 1492". Acta Medica Mediterranea. 29: 359.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Simonsohn, Shlomo, 1923–2019. (2011). Between Scylla and Charybdis : the Jews in Sicily. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-19245-4. OCLC 729724688.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Whaley, Leigh Ann. (2011). Women and the practice of medical care in early modern Europe, 1400–1800. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-28291-9. OCLC 646112089.
  5. Shatzmiller, Joseph. (1994). Jews, medicine, and medieval society. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-08059-9. OCLC 27380634.
  6. Roth, Cecil (1953). "The Qualification of Jewish Physicians in the Middle Ages". Speculum. 28 (4): 834–843. doi:10.2307/2849209. ISSN 0038-7134. JSTOR 2849209. S2CID 162193993.
  7. Medieval Jewish civilization : an encyclopedia. Norman Roth. New York: Routledge. 2003. ISBN 0-415-93712-4. OCLC 49226220.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. Bartolomeo Lagumina, Giuseppe Lagumina (1884). Codice diplomatico dei giudei di Sicilia (in Italian). University of Michigan. Tip. di M. Amenta. p. 99.
  9. The Jews in Sicily. Simonsohn, Shlomo, 1923–2019. Leiden. 2000. ISBN 90-04-10977-3. OCLC 37814203.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. Women in world history : a biographical encyclopedia. Commire, Anne., Klezmer, Deborah. Waterford, CT: Yorkin Publications. 1999–2002. ISBN 0-7876-3736-X. OCLC 41108563.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. Taitz, Emily. (2003). The JPS guide to Jewish women : 600 B.C.E.to 1900 C.E. Henry, Sondra., Tallan, Cheryl. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 978-0-8276-0974-7. OCLC 676699912.
  12. "Doctors: Medieval". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  13. OLIVERI, FABIO; אוליבירי, פאביו (1993). "נשים יהודיות בסיציליה הקדומה ובימי הביניים / Jewish Women in Ancient and Medieval Sicily". Proceedings of the World Congress of Jewish Studies / דברי הקונגרס העולמי למדעי היהדות. יא: 130–134. ISSN 0333-9068. JSTOR 23536307.
  14. "Catania, nuovi nomi per alcune vie e piazze: ecco quali cambieranno". LiveUniCT (in Italian). November 10, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
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