Reforma y expansión hospitalaria renacentista en Vitoria, una interpretación desde la crisis bajomedieval

Hospital reform and expansion in Vitoria (Spain) in the Renaissance, an interpretation from the crisis of the late Middle Ages

Resumen

Los rasgos de modernidad convenidos para establecer un corte entre la hospitalidad medieval y la moderna carecen de homogeneidad cronológica y geográfica en Europa. En el caso de Vitoria (Álava, España) puntos de corte comunes, como la reducción hospitalaria del XVI, casan mal tanto con la dinámica fundacional de hospitales como con la evolución histórica de la ciudad. Revisada documentación primaria y bibliográfica se han obtenido numerosos rasgos de modernidad durante el siglo XV para cuestionar la consideración del Renacimiento como mera transición del hospital medieval. Sosteniéndose, por el contrario, que en el caso de Vitoria la hospitalidad a finales del XV, salvo por la incipiente medicalización, algo más tardía, puede considerarse plenamente moderna. Documentándose cambios en la asistencia al pobre y enfermo junto a un claro control municipal con más motivaciones económicas que asistenciales.

Abstract

The generally agreed traits of modernity used to establish a cut between medieval and modern hospitality lack chronological and geographical homogeneity in Europe. In the case of Vitoria (Álava, Spain) common cut-off points, such as the reduction in the number of hospitals occurring in the XVI, do not seem to fit with local historical events such as the foundation of hospitals and the historical evolution of the city in this period. We identified numerous features of modernity throughout our documentary review of both primary and secondary sources from the fifteenth century, which have made us question the consideration of the Renaissance period as a mere transition from the medieval hospital model. We suggest, conversely, that in the case of Vitoria hospitality at the end of the XV century can be considered as being modern, except perhaps for the incipient medicalization of the healthcare services, which took place somewhat later. Furthermore, changes in the health care of the poor and the infirm, along with a clear municipal control with economic rather than altruistic motivations, were observed.