[Saint Liborius, patron of European urology. Iconography found in Croatia and Spain]

Arch Esp Urol. 1999 Dec;52(10):1015-22.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

The discovery made by the group of Dr. Stella Fatovic-Ferencic in Varazdin (Croatia) of a painting of St. Liborius, patron saint invoked for calculi, and the painting of the Sevillian school (circa 1700) discovered by another group in Spain have led to the retrieval of part of the history of European Urology forgotten 250 years ago. Saint Liborius, bishop of Le Mans (France), died in 397, at the time the barbarian hordes were ravaging the Roman Empire, which had been divided into a Western and an Eastern Empire on the death of Theodosius I. Learning more about St. Liborius is of interest. Here is an example of the Graeco-Roman culture of antiguity that is passed on to the present time. The significance of both paintings and their differences are described. The article concludes that on the basis of his biography, St. Liborius should be considered the patron saint of Urology.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article
  • Portrait

MeSH terms

  • Croatia
  • History, 15th Century
  • History, 17th Century
  • History, 18th Century
  • History, Ancient
  • History, Medieval
  • Medicine in the Arts*
  • Paintings / history*
  • Religion and Medicine*
  • Saints / history*
  • Spain
  • Urology / history*

Personal name as subject

  • None Saint Liborio