Marching on – in which Amy Maroney introduces medieval physician Trotula

Today, we are visited by Amy Maroney who writes wonderfully vivid books set in the past, in locations spanning everything from the Pyrenees to Cyprus. One of my personal favourites is The Queen’s Scribe, mainly because I love how elegantly Amy weaves the story of her fictional characters into the warp and weft of known history.

The truth about medieval medicine

It’s commonly assumed that in Europe, medieval women worked as healers and midwives, but physicians of the era were all men.
But that’s not true.
For centuries in Salerno, Italy, women trained alongside men and practiced medicine. Like so many truths about women in history, this fact has been ignored, doubted, and omitted from the historical record.
Happily, that’s beginning to change.

I can trace my fascination with medieval women physicians directly to Ariana Franklin’s Mistress of The Art of Death historical mystery series. The books feature a fiery medieval physician character named Adelia who studied at Salerno’s famed medical school.

Medieval women practiced medicine alongside men

Eager to learn more, I plunged into research and discovered that Adelia was likely inspired by a real-life woman physician named Trotula (or Trota) de Ruggiero of Salerno. It turns out that women, along with non-Christian practitioners, were welcomed at the school for centuries. Trotula of Salerno practiced medicine in the eleventh or twelfth century (exact dates from this time period are elusive). She also wrote and published treatises on women’s health that became famous throughout Europe.

Thrilled to find a trailblazing woman physician of the medieval era, I created my own fictional character inspired by Trotula: fifteenth-century physician Giuliana Rinaldi. In the three novels of my Sea and Stone Chronicles series, Giuliana is a minor character doling out medical care and advice to the women of Rhodes, Greece.

She also has a starring role in my recent novella, The Pirate’s Physician. Here’s an excerpt:

As we walk home through the darkening lanes, torches affixed to the walls cast dancing shadows on the cobblestones. Uncle Dante strolls along, lost in thought, and I fight the urge to speed my step.

Three scruffy-looking men approach from the other direction, engaged in a loud, drunken conversation. I slip a hand in the crook of Uncle Dante’s arm. My other hand moves to the dagger strapped on my belt. I’ve only used it once, and I pray I’ll never have to wield it again. I watch the threesome warily, tensing my muscles. But when they see us, they draw back to let us pass.

“Professore,” one of them says to my uncle, bowing a little. “Go with God.”

Uncle Dante nods at them amiably. He’s known in these rough lanes as a man of compassion and generosity, and the goodwill people feel for him keeps me safe, too. For a moment, I wonder how I’ll cope when he’s no longer walking alongside me. My throat thickens with emotion, and I bury the thought.

“What is your conclusion about the fisherman’s wife?” he asks me.

“She has the same illness as most of the others we’ve seen today. Fever, sore throat, and pain that responds well to willow bark. A nuisance more than a danger, as long as she keeps eating and drinking.” I take in a breath. “And her husband beats her. But not often, and not as violently as some men.”

“Well done.” He glances at me. “You’re ready for your examinations.”

Nervous anticipation flutters in my stomach. “Truly?”

“More than any other student at the Schola Medica today. I should know. I’ve taught them all, and not one is your equal. No one has exhibited such a brilliant mind for medicine since Trotula de Ruggiero.”

I glow under the praise. Trotula de Ruggiero was one of the school’s most esteemed and influential graduates, and her skill at diagnosing and treating women’s ailments has never been matched.

Still, a sliver of uncertainty pricks at me.

I was admitted to Salerno’s centuries-old medical school thanks to my uncle’s influence. Unlike in Trotula’s time, few women remain in the ranks of students or faculty these days.

“With Uncle Dante’s help, I’ve managed to thrive in this mostly male world, driven by one constant wish—to be a physician specializing in the care of women.

Now, only weeks away from my dream becoming reality, it seems more distant than ever.

“There’s so much to remember,” I admit quietly. “It feels impossible at times to memorize it all.”

He kisses my cheek. “Trotula’s book is always there for you, cara Giuliana. Study it if you need reassurance.”

I smile. Somehow we always return to the book.

What else do we know about Trotula of Salerno?

Legend has it that Trotula married a fellow physician—and that both her sons also practiced medicine. A thirteenth-century document called De mulierum passionibus describes an ill woman calling upon Trotula “as if she were a master of this craft”. It recounts Trotula examining the woman and refuting the prior diagnosis of hernia. She then cured the woman of her actual illness.

As her fame spread throughout Europe, she became a household name. (For example, she’s the Dame Trot in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales). The French poet Rutebeuf called her the most intelligent woman in the world.

Among Trotula’s achievements was the idea that infertility results from both male and female reproductive problems, refuting the common belief that women were to blame for inability to conceive. She also defied conventional Christian wisdom by recommending the use of opiates to ease pain in childbirth.

Trotula’s legacy lives on in the three works that make up the “Trotula ensemble” of her writings. They are: The Book on the Conditions of Women, Treatments for Women, and Women’s Cosmetics.

Trotula clearly articulated the reason for writing down and sharing her wisdom in The Book on the Conditions of Women. “Women, from the condition of their fragility, out of shame and embarrassment do not dare reveal their anguish over their diseases (which happen in such a private place) to a physician. Therefore, their misfortune, which ought to be pitied, and especially the influence of a certain woman stirring my heart, have impelled me to give a clear explanation regarding their diseased in caring for their health.”

I made all of these fabulous discoveries thanks to independent scholar Monica H. Green, whose work has reignited interest in Trotula de Ruggiero and other once-forgotten women physicians of medieval Europe.

My hope is that as more writers include women physicians in their work (whether it be fiction or nonfiction), we can dispel the myth that only men achieved the status of physician during Europe’s medieval era.

The Pirate’s Physician: A Thrilling Companion Novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles

When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next?

 The Pirate’s Physician is the story of Giuliana Rinaldi, a student at Salerno’s famed medieval medical school, whose lifelong dream of becoming a physician crumbles when her uncle and mentor dies suddenly.

Faced with an unwanted marriage to a ruthless merchant, Giuliana enlists the help of a Basque pirate and flees home for the dangers of the open sea.

Will she make it to Genoa, where her only remaining relative awaits? Or will this impulsive decision seal her own doom?

“Brilliant . . . If you’re a fan of seafaring adventure tales with a touch of romance and intrigue, you’ll love this book!” —Five Stars, Reader’s Favorite

 A delightful seafaring adventure packed with romance and intrigue, The Pirate’s Physician is a companion novella to the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles series of historical novels by Amy Maroney: Island of Gold, Sea of Shadows, and The Queen’s Scribe.

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/PiratesPhysician

Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction.  Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean. To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at www.amymaroney.com.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.amymaroney.com/

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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Maroney/author/B01LYHPXEO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15831603.Amy_Maroney