El nombre de la rosa/ Der Name der Rose (1986). Aspectos básicos de la medicina-farmacia monacal en el medievo

Abstract

The film entitled The Name of the Rose is based on the novel of the same name by Umberto eco. It is a mediaeval thriller that can be of use for teaching certain aspects of the history of medicine and of pharmacy. Its viewing, directed by an instructor, can help students to gain knowledge of the socio-political context of the times; it improves their overall training and their understanding of a dark period in human history, in which the clash between rationality and a magical-religious view of the universe strongly conditioned the development of the sciences and, in particular, of the medical sciences. This article reviews the main aspects of the monastic medical-pharmacological knowledge through the scenes and dialogues in the film. It is certainly not our intention to analyse the literary work or the faithfulness of its adaptation to the cinema.