Del reino de Pamplona al reino de Navarra: el entramado sanitario (siglos XII–XIII)

Abstract

During the central period of the Middle Ages, medical practice, based on the Christian tradition of beneficence, was an important dimension of the activity of monasteries and hospitals organized by the ecclesiastical and secular elites. It is also important to mention the growing relevance of religious brotherhoods, parish organisations and lay associations as promoters of social and charitable activities during this period. The political and territorial consolidation of the Kingdom of Pamplona/Navarre was reflected in the organization of a health network along the main and secondary routes of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago. Despite the lack of data regarding those engaged in medical practice during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it is possible to show some evidence of the activity of nurses and hospitaleros, whose social origin contrasts with that of physicians, surgeons, barbers and spice-sellers, who are usually associated with the urban world and socially disadvantaged sectors.