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Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, VeraORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-0979-4129
Publications (10 of 45) Show all publications
Zurlini, F., Iorio, S. & Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2025). The Enigma Christina of Sweden (1626 – 1689): sexuality, power and some medical-psychological hypotheses. Medicina nei secoli. Journal of history of medicine and medical humanities, 37(1), 137-152
Open this publication in new window or tab >>The Enigma Christina of Sweden (1626 – 1689): sexuality, power and some medical-psychological hypotheses
2025 (English)In: Medicina nei secoli. Journal of history of medicine and medical humanities, ISSN 0394-9001, Vol. 37, no 1, p. 137-152Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The controversial figure of Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689) has been the subject of a wide historical literature, particularlyin relation to her strong choices, such as the abdicationfrom the throne of Sweden and the conversion to RomanCatholicism. Certain historians wanted to identify the reasonsfor these choices in her sexual ambiguity - a presumed homosexuality- and congenital sexual anomalies, such as hermaphroditismand hyperandrogenism.The article analyses psychological and medical theories onthe Queen’s sexuality in the essays, published from the Nineteenthcentury up to now, integrating research with unpublishedarchival documentation - letters by court doctors, privatecorrespondence and the Queen’s autobiography. The aimof the article is to restore the truth about the Queen’s sexualorientation. The anthropological examination, carried out onthe Queen’s skeleton, confirms typical female features, just asthe analysis of the recently discovered archival documentationshows a heterosexual orientation. Christina had a masculineattitude more because of the male education she received, thevirile role she assumed as a sovereign, her proud nature asa lover of freedom, her adherence to libertine thought and,above all, the male language of power during the modern agerather than for presumed sexual anomalies.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Rom: Sapienza Università Editrice, 2025
Keywords
Queen Christina of Sweden, Hermaphroditism, Hyperandrogenism, Homosexuality, Regina Cristina di Svezia, Ermafroditismo, Iperandroginismo, Omosessualità
National Category
General Literature Studies History
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-50499 (URN)10.13133/2531-7288/3099 (DOI)2-s2.0-105003976052 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2025-04-19 Created: 2025-04-19 Last updated: 2025-05-21Bibliographically approved
Zurlini, F., Iorio, S. & Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2025). The Sudden Death of Cardinal Decio Azzolino Junior (1623–1689), the Universal Heir of Queen Christina of Sweden: A Dropsy Case?. Academic Forensic Pathology, 15(2), 57-67
Open this publication in new window or tab >>The Sudden Death of Cardinal Decio Azzolino Junior (1623–1689), the Universal Heir of Queen Christina of Sweden: A Dropsy Case?
2025 (English)In: Academic Forensic Pathology, ISSN 1925-3621, Vol. 15, no 2, p. 57-67Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Introduction: Cardinal Decio Azzolino Jr. (1623-1689), a leading figure at the Roman curia in the 17th century met in 1655 queen Christina of Sweden, arrived in Rome after her conversion to Roman Catholicism. The queen appointed the cardinal as her universal testamentary heir before her death on April 16th, 1689. Azzolino died of a sudden death shortly after, on June 8th. The article aims to question Azzolino's sudden death through the analysis of the cardinal's illnesses from which he was afflicted in the last decades of his life, examining the most likely causes of his demise.

Methodology: Various unpublished epistolary letters were analysed, according to the chronological order of production between 1660 and 1689. A philological approach coupled with clinical-medical hypothesis inferable by the examined sources.

Results: The cause of death is identified as an unexpected dropsy in some letters and the death certificate. The analysis of the letters allows the reconstruction of Azzolino' state of health and illnesses in the last two decades of life: bilious excesses, inflammations, podagra and gout, which appeared with the inflammation of the knee and walking difficulties, and, finally, asthenia, dyspnea and a probable stroke.

Conclusion: The dropsy is a symptom underlying various possible pathologies. The cardinal's state of health had been precarious and already marked by various symptoms, which were progressively worsening over the last decades of his life. The hypothesis of a stroke is also plausible. His death was not sudden as the Roman curial environments lead us to believe. 

Keywords
Christina of Sweden; Decio Azzolino Junior; Dropsy; Metabolic diseases., Cristina di Svezia; cardinale Decio Azzolino giuniore; idropisia; malattie metaboliche
National Category
Other Humanities
Research subject
Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-49917 (URN)10.1177/19253621241299094 (DOI)
Available from: 2024-12-30 Created: 2024-12-30 Last updated: 2025-04-25Bibliographically approved
Zurlini, F., Iorio, S. & Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2024). Alessio Spalla, court surgeon of Christina of Sweden and his unknown Queen's autopsy report. Acta Chirurgica Belgica, 124(4), 332-338
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Alessio Spalla, court surgeon of Christina of Sweden and his unknown Queen's autopsy report
2024 (English)In: Acta Chirurgica Belgica, ISSN 0001-5458, Vol. 124, no 4, p. 332-338Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background Queen Christina of Sweden, a prominent Early Modern European character, died in Rome on April 19, 1689. The scarce literature published about her illness and death agrees about the cause of the death in the diagnosis of erysipelas, that did not appear externally with an ulcer, but became manifest in her blood, causing an inflammation of heart and lungs. The article underlines the essential contribution of the learned surgeons to the development of practical anatomy in the late Seventeenth century as illustrated by the specific case of the Queen's autopsy report by the court surgeon Alessio Spalla.

Methods The study is based on the analysis of the published literature and the comparison of archival sources as the anonymous report of the Queen's autopsy, preserved in Vienna and the unknown autopsy by Spalla, discovered in a private archive.

Results The comparison of Spalla's autopsy with the Viennese report of an anonymous practical doctor -suspected to be Marcello Malpighi-, who also participated in the Queen's dissection highlights how the two perspectives of investigation - the surgical-morphological and the medical-practical ones - are integrated in the theoretical and practical dimension of practical anatomy.

Conclusions The unpublished report of the surgeon Spalla integrates the knowledge of the queen's illness and death, stands as an example of a private autopsy performed by a court surgeon in the late Seventeenth-century Rome and as a case study on the development of new hybrid areas of knowledge, such as practical anatomy.

Keywords
Alessio Spalla, Marcello Malpighi, Practical anatomy, Court surgery history, Queen Christina of Sweden
National Category
History
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-48490 (URN)10.1080/00015458.2024.2350112 (DOI)001216415700001 ()38693894 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85192506246 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2024-05-07 Created: 2024-05-07 Last updated: 2024-08-26Bibliographically approved
Zurlini, F., Iorio, S. & Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2024). Court doctors in Modern Europe: Cesare Macchiati (1629-1675) a doctor travelling with Queen Christina of Sweden. Medicina Historica: Studies in History, Paleopathology, Bioethics and Anthropology of Health, 8(1), Article ID e2024011.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Court doctors in Modern Europe: Cesare Macchiati (1629-1675) a doctor travelling with Queen Christina of Sweden
2024 (English)In: Medicina Historica: Studies in History, Paleopathology, Bioethics and Anthropology of Health, ISSN 2532-2370, Vol. 8, no 1, article id e2024011Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background and aim: Court doctors have long been a neglected topic for medical historians as theyoften represent minor figures with a little editorial production at a scientific level, more relevant for the politicaland diplomatic role played at court rather than for their medical one. Only recently, medical historianshave understood their importance, starting to investigate the relationship between court medicine and themedical context of the society of the time. Among these still little-known figures, to whom historiography ispaying attention, there is Cesare Macchiati (1629-1675), a doctor at the Roman court of Queen Christina ofSweden from 1659 to 1675. Materials and Methods: As a court doctor, Macchiati joined the Queen on twojourneys to Northern Europe, towards Sweden, respectively between 1660 and 1668, leaving about fifty letters,addressed to Cardinal Decio Azzolino Jr, as a documentation of these journeys. Results: From the studyof these letters, it is possible to deduce some biographical information on court medical practice, the queen’stemperament and illnesses and the circulation of a new medical knowledge at the court, which was favouredby the journey. Conclusions: The biography highlights how the role of a court doctor, which was consolidatedby the experience of the journey to Europe in Macchiati’s case, becomes a prerequisite for a professional riseon his return to Rome in the most important city medical institutions, such as the university, the Romanmedical college at the pontifical curia, characterized by a cosmopolitan context thanks to the internationalprofessional background, developed at the Queen’s court.

Keywords
Cesare Macchiati, Early Modern court medicine, Christina of Sweden, medical correspondence, travel literature, Cesare Macchiati, Regina Cristtina di Svezia, episolari medici, odeporica
National Category
Medical and Health Sciences History
Research subject
Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies; Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-48668 (URN)2-s2.0-85195063026 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2024-06-06 Created: 2024-06-06 Last updated: 2024-12-06Bibliographically approved
Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2023). Lo Stoccafisso: dalle Lofoten a Fermo, a cura diRiccardo Renzi e Fabiola Zurlini, Accademia dellostoccafisso alla fermana - Andrea Livi ed, Fermo 2023: Recensione [Review]. Marca/Marche, 21(2), 297-298
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Lo Stoccafisso: dalle Lofoten a Fermo, a cura diRiccardo Renzi e Fabiola Zurlini, Accademia dellostoccafisso alla fermana - Andrea Livi ed, Fermo 2023: Recensione
2023 (Italian)In: Marca/Marche, ISSN 2284-0389, Vol. 21, no 2, p. 297-298Article, book review (Other academic) Published
Abstract [it]

Recensione al volume illustrato Lo Stoccafisso: dalle Lofoten a Fermo.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Fermo: , 2023
Keywords
Scandinavia, Travel literature, Travels to the North, Stockfish, Olaus Magnusson, Lofoten, Scandinavia, Letteratura di viaggio, Viaggi al Nord, Stoccafisso, Olao Magno, Lofoten
National Category
Specific Literatures
Research subject
Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-47580 (URN)
Available from: 2023-12-23 Created: 2023-12-23 Last updated: 2023-12-29Bibliographically approved
Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. & Zurlini, F. (2022). Il caso della storiografia medica sulla regina Cristina di Svezia: ricostruzione storica e prospettiva per nuove fonti di ricerca. The case of Queen Christina of Sweden in Medical Historiography: The case of Queen Christina of Sweden in medical biography: a historical reconstruction and a perspective for new sources. In: Andrea Vesprini, Pietro Scendoni, Fabiola Zurlini (Ed.), Storiografia Medica in Europa nel Novecento / Medical Historiography in Europe in the Twentieth century: Acts of 39th International Conference and Medical Symposium. Fermo, 14-15 September 2018 (pp. 51-92). Padova: CLEUP, Coperativa Libraria Ediitrice Università di Padova
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Il caso della storiografia medica sulla regina Cristina di Svezia: ricostruzione storica e prospettiva per nuove fonti di ricerca. The case of Queen Christina of Sweden in Medical Historiography: The case of Queen Christina of Sweden in medical biography: a historical reconstruction and a perspective for new sources
2022 (Italian)In: Storiografia Medica in Europa nel Novecento / Medical Historiography in Europe in the Twentieth century: Acts of 39th International Conference and Medical Symposium. Fermo, 14-15 September 2018 / [ed] Andrea Vesprini, Pietro Scendoni, Fabiola Zurlini, Padova: CLEUP, Coperativa Libraria Ediitrice Università di Padova , 2022, p. 51-92Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

The controversial historical figure of the Queen Christina of Sweden attracted the attention of medical historiography mainly from an anthropological perspective during the second half of the Twentieth century in Sweden. Even though these first investigations were born in the cultural context of historical revisionism of the Queen’s figure, they still represent the essential point of departure to be considered by the medical historians. The recent Italian studies focused on the Queen’s court physicians opened new perspectives and new sources for a more objective medical historical investigation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Padova: CLEUP, Coperativa Libraria Ediitrice Università di Padova, 2022
Keywords
Queen Christina of Sweden, regina Cristina di Svezia
National Category
General Literature Studies
Research subject
Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-45485 (URN)
Available from: 2023-02-17 Created: 2023-02-17 Last updated: 2023-06-02Bibliographically approved
Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2021). Svezia (1ed.). In: Enrico Garavelli (Ed.), Annibal Caro in Europa: Libri, lettori, bibliofili (pp. 137-159). Roma: Aracne
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Svezia
2021 (Italian)In: Annibal Caro in Europa: Libri, lettori, bibliofili / [ed] Enrico Garavelli, Roma: Aracne , 2021, 1, p. 137-159Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Roma: Aracne, 2021 Edition: 1
Series
Quaderni dell'Osservatorio Annibal Caro ; 1
Keywords
Annibal Caro, Svezia, bibliofili, letteratura italiana, letteratura del rinascimento
National Category
Languages and Literature
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-39809 (URN)979-12-80414-18-2 (ISBN)
Available from: 2022-03-09 Created: 2022-03-09 Last updated: 2023-04-14Bibliographically approved
Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2020). Decio Azzolino il Giovane e gli altri Azzolino a Fermo tra Cinquecento e Seicento. In: Fabiola Zurlini, Walter Scotucci, Vera Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm (Ed.), Palazzo Rosati-Azzolino a Fermo: arte, storia, cultura tra XVI e XXI secolo. La nuova sede dell'Ordine dei medici chirurghi e degli odontoiatri della provincia di Fermo (pp. 69-104). Fermo: Andrea Livi Editore
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Decio Azzolino il Giovane e gli altri Azzolino a Fermo tra Cinquecento e Seicento
2020 (Italian)In: Palazzo Rosati-Azzolino a Fermo: arte, storia, cultura tra XVI e XXI secolo. La nuova sede dell'Ordine dei medici chirurghi e degli odontoiatri della provincia di Fermo / [ed] Fabiola Zurlini, Walter Scotucci, Vera Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, Fermo: Andrea Livi Editore , 2020, p. 69-104Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Fermo: Andrea Livi Editore, 2020
Keywords
Decio Azzolino, Fermo, Famiglia Azzolino, Regina Cristina di Svezia
National Category
Specific Languages
Research subject
Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-35765 (URN)887969457X (ISBN)
Available from: 2020-12-30 Created: 2020-12-30 Last updated: 2021-11-12Bibliographically approved
Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. & Aresti, A. (2020). Per una nuova edizione del Viaggio settentrionale (1700) di Francesco Negri. In: E. Garavelli, D. Monticelli et alii (Ed.), Italianistica 2.0. Tradizione e innovazione: Atti del XII Congresso degli italianisti della Scandinavia. Helsinki-Tallinn, 13-14 giugno 2019 (pp. 83-100). Helsinki: University of Helsinki
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Per una nuova edizione del Viaggio settentrionale (1700) di Francesco Negri
2020 (Italian)In: Italianistica 2.0. Tradizione e innovazione: Atti del XII Congresso degli italianisti della Scandinavia. Helsinki-Tallinn, 13-14 giugno 2019 / [ed] E. Garavelli, D. Monticelli et alii, Helsinki: University of Helsinki, 2020, p. 83-100Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Helsinki: University of Helsinki, 2020
Series
Mémoires de la Societé Néophilologique de Helsinki, ISSN 0355-0192 ; CVII
Keywords
Francesco Negri, Viaggio Settentrionale, odeporica, Scandinavia, Seicento
National Category
General Language Studies and Linguistics
Research subject
Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-35764 (URN)978-951-9040-65-3 (ISBN)
Available from: 2020-12-30 Created: 2020-12-30 Last updated: 2021-11-12Bibliographically approved
Nigrisoli Wärnhjelm, V. (2019). Dalla Marca alla corte della regina Cristina di Svezia a Roma nel Seicento. Marca/Marche, 2(13), 205-247
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Dalla Marca alla corte della regina Cristina di Svezia a Roma nel Seicento
2019 (Italian)In: Marca/Marche, ISSN 2284-0389, Vol. 2, no 13, p. 205-247Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Fermo: , 2019
Keywords
Queen Christina, Queen Christina's Court, Court Culture, Court Studies, Rome, cardinal Decio Azzolino jr., Regina Cristina di Svezia, Corte della regina Cristina, Cultura delle corti, Studi sulle corti, Roma, Fermani, cardinale Decio Azzolino il giovane
National Category
History and Archaeology
Research subject
Research Profiles 2009-2020, Intercultural Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-30608 (URN)
Available from: 2019-08-13 Created: 2019-08-13 Last updated: 2021-11-12Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-0979-4129

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