Autore
Welch, Evelyn

Titolo
Space and spectacle in the Renaissance pharmacy
Periodico
Medicina & Storia (Online)
Anno: 2008 - Volume: 8 - Fascicolo: 15 - Pagina iniziale: 127 - Pagina finale: 158

Pharmacies, variously termed, apoteche, spezierie or aromatarii, were important social and commercial sites in fifteenth and sixteenth-century Italy. Like barber- shops, they provided spaces where men, and occasionally women, could gather, gossip, gamble and exchange information. As such, they often had unusual spatial arrangements, with more space for display, back-rooms and attics than the majority of Renaissance botteghe. The goods on display were often packaged in specialist containers which demonstrated the speziale’s integrity. While tradition was a key component in encouraging trust, updating the shop display was an important mechanism for ensuring commercial success; this demonstrated the speziale’s ability to invest regularly in his business. Although these displays were, theoretically, restricted to local customers, apothecaries increasingly printed and circulated images and descriptions of their shops, supplies and knowledge of natural history in order to enhance their reputations. The trade in generic drugs such as theriac provides a particularly good example of such practices which became increasing competitive at the end of the sixteenth century.



SICI: 1828-6224(2008)8:15<127:SASITR>2.0.ZU;2-U
Testo completo: http://www.fupress.net/index.php/mes/article/download/10394/9600
Testo completo alternativo: http://www.fupress.net/index.php/mes/article/download/10394/9668

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