Histoires de médecins et de médecine

Stories of Medics and Medicine

 
A One Day Conference in Memory of Giuseppe Ongaro

27 September 2024


Organised by

Fabrizio Bigotti
Fabiola Zurlini




Keynote Speakers

Dániel Margócsy
Vivian Nutton
Luana Salvarani
Fabio Zampieri


Ongaro's life and work are a testament to scholarly dedication, resilience and pioneering research in the history of medicine. Ongaro masterfully balanced his roles in the medical and academic fields, making seminal contributions that have greatly enriched our understanding of the past of medicine, particularly the medical school of Padua.

As a physician, he directed the Centro Trasfusionale in Padova (now the Unità Operativa Complessa Immunotrasfusionale), where his work with HIV-positive patients marked an important period in medical treatment under difficult conditions. His academic career was equally distinguished, and with his habilitation (libera docenza) in 1962, he embarked on a career that would have a lasting impact on Italian and international medical science.

Around the same time, he was diagnosed with a rare form of multiple sclerosis, but his intellectual curiosity and dedication never wavered. The disease never interfered with his scholarly output, which includes a wide range of publications covering a broad spectrum of medical history and has earned him various recognitions, including a fellowship from the Accademia Galileiana of Arts and Sciences and membership of the Centre for the Study of History at the University of Padua. Ongaro's work is characterised by meticulous research into original and secondary sources, often in several languages (including English, German, Spanish and French), at a time when global connectivity and the exchange of resources were far more limited than today.

Through his life and work, Ongaro exemplifies the essence of perseverance, intellectual rigour and a deep commitment to exploring the complexities of medical history.

This conference, held in his honour, is aimed at scholars working on any aspect of the history of medicine, with a particular focus on Paduan and Venetian Aristotelianism, from antiquity to the eighteenth century. The range of topics, as well as the ensemble of speakers and their particular contributions, are now finally accessible in a detailed programme, which can be found at the following link:Stories of Medics and Medicine - Conference Programme



Each speaker aims to explore one of the many facets of his contributions and reflect on the lasting impact of his legacy and the inspiration it continues to provide.