From Superstition to Science: Lionardo DiCapua and the Uncertainty of Medicine is a work of historical fiction based on the life of Lionardo DiCapua, born in Bagnoli, Irpino in 1617. The author is a protege of Lionardo writing the book in 1731 nearly 40 years after Lionardo’s death, trying to understand the true nature of his connection to DiCapua.
Orphaned at a young age, Lionardo was sent to Naples to study with the Jesuits and eventually finished training in medicine during a time when science and medicine were evolving from superstition and magic. He and his courageous circle of friends connected with other European progressives and were intimately involved in promoting the new ideas, despite a constant threat of reprisals. In addition to his medical writings, he was a gifted author of essays, fables, plays, natural science, biography, and poetry.
The narrative is supplemented by chapters on the history of the times, particularly the twenty-five year period when the Kingdom of Naples suffered a destructive eruption of Mount Vesuvius, a major political revolution, and a virulent outbreak of the plague. All of which added to the uncertainty of the era and the tension in Lionardo’s life. And although the events took place nearly four centuries ago, the historical parallels to modern times are sometimes striking.
The book is a sweeping look at the Kingdom of Naples during the 17th century. But it is also a love story inside of a mystery that compels the author to write what is much more than Lionardo DiCapua’s biography.
