Born: Unknown (1300s), Italy
Died: Unknown
Country most active: Italy
Also known as: NA
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Virdimura, a Jewish woman from Catania, Italy, became the first “ducturissa” or female doctor. She was married to Pasquale di Catania, a licensed physician, but possessed remarkable medical skills of her own. In 1376, documents preserved in the State Archives of Palermo reveal that she successfully passed a medical proficiency test with “laudable fame.” As a result, Virdimura was officially recognized as a “ducturissa” in Catania, following a thorough examination by the physicians of the royal court. This designation granted her the ability to practice medicine and offer medical treatment throughout the Kingdom of Sicily.
Virdimura was particularly renowned for her generosity and compassion, as she treated women, the underprivileged, and the disabled. This historical account also highlights the influx of Jewish doctors to Sicily after the plague of 1347, contributing to a thriving medical community in the region.
Virdimura’s story is a testament to her tenacity and skill, breaking societal norms to become one of the first officially recognized female doctors in the Kingdom of Sicily, making her a significant figure in the history of medicine.