Renaissance treatises on ‘successful ageing’

Abstract

Numerous treatises on 'successful ageing' were published during the late Renaissance. Zerbi's Gerontocomia and Cornaro's Trattato della Vita Sobria, in particular, have been considered as early precursors of modern gerontology. In this paper I revisit these two treatises, outline their content and common themes, and set them in the context of other literature written about ageing in this period. The rise of civic humanism, increased access to classical texts on health and hygiene, and the emergence of environmental and public health concerns, particularly in the Italian city states, are some of the factors that influenced this writing. The powerful yet insecure position of older men in the upper ranks of Italian society gave the topic of 'seniority' added relevance. While their roots in the scholastic tradition prevent them from serving as forerunners of scientific gerontology, their humanist concern with 'lifestyle' succeeds in making them the prototypes of the 'do-it-yourself' manuals for successful ageing that now proliferate in our late modernity.

The plasticity of ageing and the rediscovery of ground-state prevention

“…These ideas formed a corpus of proto-hygienic norms of self-care ensuring longer and healthier lives, which have reappeared in various forms through modern times. The Italian humanistic tradition particularly contributed to the widespread propagation of such rules of good health (Gilleard, 2013 ). With its emphasis on virtuous conduct in both public and personal life, the humanistic tradition stimulated the publication of numerous treatises, or rather, practical manuals, on all aspects of life, such as running a family (see Leon Battista Alberti’s four books Della Famiglia, 1443 ), conducting oneself with measure in mundane circumstances (like Il Libro del Cortigiano by Baldassarre Castiglione, 1528), and physical exercise (as in De Arte Gymnastica written by Girolamo Mercuriale in 1569).…”

Revisionist or simply wrong? A response to Armstrong's article on chronic illness

“…This Galenic precept was maintained as the dominant model in medicine until the 19th century, although it was challenged periodically by the Paracelsians and other medical radicals. Further, numerous essays and treatises on managing health and illness in old age were written during the Renaissance, primarily targeting the elites of the time mainly because they could afford medicine and were more likely to reach old age (Gilleard ). Had there been a widespread belief that age and death were natural companions, it seems curious that the learned doctors of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries should have bothered to write so extensively on this subject (see Schäfer for treatises from the early modern period).…”

The Policy Development of Social Welfare for Elderly Health Care in the Community: A Case Study of Phitsanulok Municipality, Thailand

“…Social welfare services offered by the government for the elderly at present is based on liberal democratic concept of utilising public assistance through a state institution (Institutional model) to provide key social welfare services, a concept of providing information to families and communities used in the service (Lloyd-Sherlock, 2000;Gilleard, 2013). However, this emphasizes more on services for immediate relief more than the development of the elderly to be self-reliant and sustainable over the long term, and thus the quality of service would eventually come short to the requirements and needs of the elderly (Hugo, 2000;Kaambwa et al, 2015).…”