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DESCRIPTION
MUSEUM ROUTE
THE MORTAR ROOM
THE HISTORY ROOM
THE POTTERY ROOM
THE GLASSWARE ROOM
THE HERBS ROOM
THE ANCIENT APOTHECARY
THE PHYTOCHEMICAL LABORATORY
THE POISON ROOM
THE 19th C. PHARMACY
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CERAMICS Historical notes
The manufacture of drug-vases bear witness to the technical and aesthetic advances made in the art of ceramics. Technical advance due to the need of improving the quality of waterproof material in order to prevent sugar fermentation and fat from going rancid, thus guaranteeing a safer preservation of medicinal substances. Aesthetic advance due to the will of making a display of the finest and richest pots, according to the latest fashion. This trend characterizes 17th and 18th centuries pomp ceramics. The oldest material ever used is earthenware, commonly in use up to 18th century and occasionally enriched with a sgraffito decoration.
Recent excavations in the Mediterranean area have brought to light two original techniques dating back to the 13th century: plumbiferous-glost pottery on the engobe (earthy white) and opaque-glost, called tin-glazed pottery (vitreous white), usually referred to as protomaiolica. Such manufactures are characterized by the predominance of copper green and manganese-brown. The true majolica (from “opus malica”, Malaga’s artefact) only appeared in 14th century under the influence of the Arabic culture of the Moorish craftsmen in Spanish workshops, since at that time Spain was exporting huge quantities of enamel ware all over the European peninsula.
Late-Middle Ages Italian production is characterized by the cohexintence of the above-mentioned different techniques with new decorative patterns. Italy indeed becomes a melting pot for such new influences as Gothic Europe (Gothic leaf), Eastern (“palmetta persiana”) and Western Islam (Italo-Moresque), China (porcelain), alongside locally manufactured decorations such as relief zaffre and Tuscan zaffre, “a foglie e a frutti” (floral and fruits) in Venice, but mostly “istoriato” in Faenza and in the Marches. 15th century Spanish predominance, characterized by the “loza dorada” (gold-plated ceramics) will soon be followed by Italian colour predominance, so beautiful both in princely tables and on the apothecary’s shelves selling Italian made drugs, such as the Orvietana and the Teriaca from Venice.
Historical-philosophical itinerary
Salerno's Medical school (IXth-XVth century a.C.) collected and fused in a cultural unit various traditions of the past: Latin, Hebrew, Greek and Arab.It is the most ancient and illustrious medical medieval institution of the western world. The acquaintance of medicinal grass was remarkable, to which was entrusted the cure of every disease. The fundamental garnishments of the School are collected into Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum or 'Flos medicinæ Scholæ Salerni', a treaty of medical literature and popular wisdom, wrote with leonini verses, which is inspired to the simple's virtue and to the garnishments of rigid physical and moral hygiene.
People placed considerable trust in the therapeutic qualities of plants. One of the most popular beliefs was that only “Contra vim mortis non est medicamentum in hortis”, in other words only the power of death could not be treated with medical plants. The most representative characters of this school are Costantino the African, translator of Arabic works, the famous Arnaldo da Villanova (who was considered one of the wisest man of his time) and Matteo Silvatico, who wrote Pandette, a book which illustrated several vegetable remedies.