l'eredità culturale di sebastiano bartoli

The cultural inheritance of Sebastiano Bartoli. The presentation will focus on the convergence of art, science and social concern in the interest for thermal treatments by the eighteen century Neapolitan culture. The major impact of the archeological findings from the newly discovered Ercolano and Pompei on medicine will be first discussed. Then, the attention will be shifted to the evolution in the medical use of water from the naive approach of the early 1700 to the study of the chemical characteristics of thermal and minerai waters in the second half of the century. Finally, the relevance of Neapolitan 'beneficina' institutes of charity for the diffusion of thermal therapy will be discussed.