A medical misdiagnosis may have cost Renaissance painter Raphael his life.
In April 1520, at the age of 37, he died only eight days after contracting a fever.
A new study by historians at the University of Milan Bicocca published in a journal of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine states that the ancient practice of bloodletting, where blood is withdrawn from a patient to cure disease, contributed to his death.
The study described the commonly held assumption that Raphael died because of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis as a “myth”. Other presumed causes, such as typhoid and malaria, were deemed invalid as well.
Reading up on the final weeks of Raphael's life, the historians turned to the book The Lives of the Artists by 16th century biographer Giorgio Vasari. In it, the writer portrayed Raphael as a man who had many trysts. These characterisations bolstered the notion that the painter may have died from a sexually transmitted disease.
Vasari wrote that while he was ill, Raphael did not tell physicians about his trips out in the middle of the night. These night-time excursions could have caused his illness. “It was much, much colder in March in that period, and it's very likely he caught pneumonia,” Michele Augusto Riva, medical historian and co-author of the study, told AFP.
Raphael’s physician at the time, however, attributed the artist’s fever to an “excess of humours”, or blood and bodily fluids, and proceeded to withdraw his blood via incisions or leeches. The procedure would have weakened him, leading to his death.
Riva explained that physicians at the time would not have used bloodletting for diseases of the lungs. However, she said that since Raphael had failed to share his movements, he was misdiagnosed and doctors would have “act[ed] on misinformation”.
“A medical mistake, and his own mistake in not faithfully recounting his history, contributed to Raphael’s death,” Riva said.
During the artist’s illness he was able to prepare a will, confess his sins to a priest and receive his last rites. A celebrated artist during his time, sharing the ranks of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael was given a large, stately funeral at the Vatican.
His body is buried at the Pantheon in Rome.
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
