Page 266 - ירושלים: גיליון רפואי

a second floor was added above the ground floor area housing the pharmacy, and in 1750 the
pharmacy was transferred to the new floor while all the jars used for preparing the medicines
were stored on the lower floor. There they remained until 1924, when they were transferred
to the Monastery of the Flagellation, where a new museum was established of the Franciscan
Institute for the Study of the Bible.

The pharmacy was operated by the monks until the First World War; by that time, other
pharmacies had been established in and around Jerusalem, and it also became increasingly
difficult to obtain the pharmaceutical ingredients since most of them were imported from
Europe. The pharmacy’s wealth was determined by the variety of ingredients and medicines
it had and especially by the value of its medicines, since they were very expensive. In urgent
cases, when the monks were unable to import the necessary ingredients, the Holy See allowed
them to seek assistance from Jews, Muslims, or Christians belonging to other denominations
– which was usually strictly forbidden in those days. In the course of its work, the pharmacy
served as a bridge between the different ethnic groups: The Franciscan and Jewish pharmacists
in Jerusalem learned the profession in Europe, and formed mutual contacts and agreements in
their professional capacity. Throughout its history it was accessible to everyone, and all those
requiring its services were treated equally.

The Pharmacy at the Franciscan Monastery
in Jerusalem

Bellarmino Bagatti*

In 1686, the Franciscan monk Antonio Menzani traveled from Tuscany to Jerusalem to serve in
the Holy Land. The Custos (Custodian) of the Holy Land appointed him as its chief pharmacist
and physician, and for forty-three years he performed these functions diligently, while also
fulfilling the order’s many other roles in the holy places together with his brother monks.

Antonio Menzani was born on March 3, 1650 and joined the Order of Friars Minor at La Verna,
the sacred mountain of the stigmata of Saint Francis. Under the direction of the famous
priest Tommaso Mazzika, he studied theology from 1674 to 1677, and was then promoted to
priesthood and ordained by the Archbishop of Florence, Cardinal Nerli. After his ordination
he completed his theological studies and learned medical sciences outside the monastery

*Order of Friars Minor, Franciscan Institute for the Study of the Bible, Monastery of the Flagellation, Jerusalem

Franciscan Medicine in Jerusalem ■ 37e