Caterina Vitale (1566–1619) was the first female pharmacist and chemist in
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
, and the first female pharmacist of the
Knights Hospitaller
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...
.
Caterina Vitale was originally from Greece. She married
Ettore Vitale, pharmacist of the Knights Hospitaller, when she was a teenager.
Upon his death in 1590, she inherited his pharmacy and the task of providing pharmacies to the
Sacra Infermeria.
She was described as a successful businessperson, became very rich, and is known as a benefactor of the
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...
.
Being in an uncommon position for a woman, she was a controversial person and the subjects of legends, libelous slander and rumours, and was accused of being an enterprising prostitute, litigator and sadistic torturer of slaves.
She died in 1619 at
Syracuse
Syracuse most commonly refers to:
* Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse
* Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area
Syracuse may also refer to:
Places
* Syracuse railway station (disambiguation)
Italy
* Provi ...
and her body was brought to Valletta and buried at the Carmelite Church. To the left and right as you enter the church are her tombstone, and the tombstone of
Caterina Scappi, the founder of the first hospital for women in Malta.
Upon her death she bequeathed part of her fortune and her property
Selmun Palace
Selmun Palace (), also known as Selmun Tower, is a villa on the Selmun Peninsula in Mellieħa, Malta. It was built in the 18th century by the Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi, funded by the Monte di Pietà. The palace was located on the gro ...
to the
Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi, a charity founded during the reign of Grand Master
Alof de Wignacourt
Fra Alof de Wignacourt (1547 – 14 September 1622) was a French people, French nobleman who was the 54th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 10 February 1601 to ...
in 1607 to finance the redemption of the Maltese who had fallen into slavery.
She also left legacies to the Order of Malta, to her niece, to the Carmelites, to the Greek Church, but left nothing to her daughter.
See also
*
Timeline of women in science
This is a timeline of women in science, spanning from ancient history up to the 21st century. While the timeline primarily focuses on women involved with natural sciences such as astronomy, biology, chemistry and physics, it also includes women f ...
Further reading
The nuns who lived off the proceeds of prostitution
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitale, Caterina
1566 births
1619 deaths
16th-century Maltese businesspeople
16th-century women scientists
17th-century Maltese businesspeople
17th-century women scientists
Maltese women scientists
Maltese people of Greek descent
Women pharmacologists
Women chemists
16th-century businesswomen
17th-century businesswomen
17th-century pharmacists
Maltese slave owners
Women slave owners