Healing Plants of Renaissance Florence
The Development of Herbal Medicine in Florence
by Angela Paine
The Renaissance was a period of unparalleled beauty, excitement, and interest in Florence, despite frequent plagues and wars, thanks in large part to the presence of the Medici family, who virtually invented modern banking and accountancy. They were outstanding as enlightened and successful patrons of art, architecture, science, philosophy, and above all, every aspect of plant medicine. They collected medicinal and rare plants and created large botanic gardens, which are still there today. The Medici patronage of the University of Pisa, Cosimo I’s creation of the chair of simples (medicinal plants), and his employment of Luca Ghini revolutionised how herbal medicine was taught. This book traces the development of the first hospital and academic medicinal plant garden in Florence, under the guidance of the great Cosimo I de Medici, and looks at the plants he and his sons used in their alchemical laboratories to create herbal medicines. A selection of these plants is investigated in detail, looking at how they can be used today, including their chemistry and healing properties, as well as research that has been carried out on them.
REVIEW
5 out of 5
Disclaimer: before reading this, most of what I knew about the Medici family came from some brief coverage in history classes decades ago and popular media over the years. That out of the way, by the time I reached the end of the introductory chapter I was absolutely fascinated, and wanted to learn more. Even without checking the extensive bibliography listed at the back of the book, it’s clear this was very well-researched from the get-go. Parts two and three of the book cover both healing an exotic healing plants, with each plant getting its own chapter. The chapters were further broken down into a run-down of the plant including a description and chemical make up, it’s uses, research on it, and contraindications. While this may sound a bit overwhelming at first glance, it’s very well-written and easy to read, making this an excellent resource for those interested in natural medicines. Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend using this book as a medical book to diagnose or treat yourself without the guidance of an experienced professional. The poisons section was less in-depth, but no less fascinating than the introduction. This is definitely a book I’ll be recommending to my friends, both authors and those who prefer more nature based medicines as an excellent and easy to navigate resource.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angela Paine has a BSc in Human Physiology and PhD from the School of Pharmacy, London University, in medicinal plant chemistry. Immersed in the Celtic tradition, she runs workshops on medicinal plants and is the author of Healing Power of Celtic Plants; Healing Plants of the Celtic Druids; and Healing Plants of Greek Myth. Angela lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire, and splits her time between the UK and India.
