When we think about the joys of modernity, perhaps one of the images that comes to mind is hospitals. But, believe it or not, hospitals were also a fundamental part of the medieval world. Catering to the sick, the poor, and the needy, hospitals were institutions many medieval people could rely on in their most desperate moments. This week, Danièle speaks with Sarah Loose Guerrero about what to expect at a medieval hospital, how institutions like the Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala supported citizens from infancy to adulthood, and what hospital support looked like for both urban and rural communities.
Sarah Loose Guerrero is Assistant Professor at Brigham Young University, where she focuses her research on social and religious history in late medieval Italy.
The creator and host of The Medieval Podcast is Danièle Cybulskie. Click here to visit her website or follow her on BlueSky @5minmedievalist.bsky.social
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Top Image: Domenico di Bartolo – Care of the Sick
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