Italian books and French medical libraries in the renaissance

Abstract

This chapter explores the circulation, collection and use of Italian books by French medical doctors in the Renaissance. Medical humanism and the innovative methods adopted in Italian universities prompted many doctors and students of medicine to travel to Italy. This chapter explores how they acquired Italian books for their courses and collected them as mementos of their journey. The author highlights the exchange of Italian books both as gifts and as part of private transactions. Court physicians were particularly keen collectors of such items. The evidence presented from probate inventories indicates that doctors owned a range of items, from cheap editions for everyday use to valuable items of great prestige. The chapter concludes with reflections on collecting as a means of social elevation.