Project description
Revealing noblewomen’s hidden role in early modern medicine
Although women made a great contribution to the history of science and medicine, they often operated in informal and undocumented contexts which makes their roles difficult to study. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FEMEXP project investigates the overlooked role of noblewomen in early modern medical and scientific practices. From the 17th century, noblewomen inspected parts of female bodies that male physicians could not examine due to norms of modesty. Working in small groups, they reported their observations to notaries, but little is known about their identities, education and backgrounds. FEMEXP will improve understanding of women’s contributions to medicine and society.
Objective
It is widely acknowledged by historians that women played substantial roles in the history of science and medicine. However, it remains a difficult subject to study, since early modern women practiced science and medicine in contexts that are largely informal. FEMEXP aims to analyze one of these contexts in which the role of women had not yet been recognized: the assessment of the miracle of the incorruptibility of the corpses of prospected saints.
Since the late Middle Ages, the incorruptibility of the body was one of the most important signs of sanctity. The body allegedly remained incorrupt for days after death, astonishing the crowds who saw this as proof of the deceased’s sanctity. Starting from the first half of the 17th century the presence of medical experts in beatification and canonization processes was mandatory to assess the incorruptibility of the corpse of the prospected saint. They were tasked with verifying the state of the cadaver through painstaking observation and palpation of the parts most subject to rotting and drying. Specifically, they had to check body’s integrity, the softness and the treatability of the fleshy parts, and finally, they had to ensure that there were no signs of previous embalming. However, starting from the late 17th century, a new figure appeared in the legal framework of beatification and canonization processes: the noblewoman. Three to five noblewomen were left alone in a room with the female corpse of the prospected saint, to examine the parts that were covered by clothes, which medical experts were no longer allowed to observe and touch for reasons of modesty and decency. Finally, each noblewoman meticulously described the result of the examination to the notary.
Who were these noblewomen? What education did they have? FEMEXP will contribute to the history of women in medicine and it will shed light on early modern noblewomen's social networks.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
40126 Bologna
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.