Study of early sixteenth-century Spanish medical ideas about the effect of the passions and pertubations of the soul on physical and mential health. (360G-Wellcome-082021_Z_07_Z)

The aim of my project is to provide a systematic study of medical approaches to mental illness in Spain between 1498 and 1555. The project will follow a twofold strategy. Firstly, it will examine the notions of insanity and mental infirmity prevailing in key Latin and Spanish medical and moral treatises available in Spain during that period. To date, no historian or historian of medicine has studied the views on madness offered in the Spanish and Latin medical texts circulating in Spain between the late fifteenth century and the late sixteenth century. The few historical studies of madness which refer to sixteenth-century Spain only provide passing references to some people at the royal court who were deemed to be mad, but make no attempt at discussing what constituted 'madness' at the time, and do not mention how these 'mad people' were diagnosed or whether they were treated. My project will seek to fill that clear gap. Secondly, it will examine actual practices of treating the mentally ill by focusing on the case of Juana I (1479-1555), proprietary Queen of Castile, sister of Catherine of Aragon and mother of Emperor Charles V. Historians have often posed the question whether Juana was actually mad, or whether she was simply the victim of political intrigues. In recent years, the question has been reopened from the point of view of political history. The project will seek to make connections which have so far been overlooked by historians. For instance, some of the documents which refer to Juana's 'passion', 'extreme anger' and 'illness' seem to date from the periods of time when she was pregnant: there are references to her mad behaviour during at least three of her six pregnancies. Yet no study of Juana has taken into account her contemporaries' moral and medical views on the possible effects of pregnancy on mental health.