Learned Physicians from Brescia at the Habsburg Courts (1537-1566). Professional Paths, Relationship with the Imperial Power and Transfer of Italian Medical Knowledge

This article focuses on three academic-educated physicians from Brescia, in Northern Italy, who served the imperial Habsburg family in the second half of the sixteenth century. They were Giovanni Planerio, Pietro Merenda e Girolamo Donzellini. The main goal of the present contribution is to both clarify under what circumstances the three physicians became connected with the Habsburg courts, and identify the cultural, social and professional factors which played a decisive role in the hiring process. The physicians’ cultural profile, the medical practice they exercised at court, the relationship they developed with the imperial family, and the impact of their medical knowledge are also investigated.