Il rapporto ineludibile fra arte e medicina: il suo complesso e continuo intersecarsi alla letteratura

The links between medicine and the various expressions of art were well-known to the ancient Greeks who considered Apollo as "god of medicine and arts". This close relation, which was taken for granted for centuries, has been questioned since the emergence of scientific thought in the modern age. Literature has remained the main witness of the interconnection of medicine and art: not only because of the numerous characters who are doctors or authors who are doctors themselves, but because the experience of writing and reading implies having the opportunity of seeing life as other people do, and sharing, although indirectly, their suffering and dying. Focusing on literature is therefore crucial for medical training.