Horticulture and health in the middle ages: Images from the Tacuinum Sanitatis

Abstract

Lavishly illustrated late 14th century manuscripts known as the Tacuinum Sanitatis, a guide for healthy living, were based on an 11th century Arabic manuscript known as the Taqwim al-Sihha bi al-Ashab al-Sitta (Rectifying Health by Six Causes) written by the physician and philosopher Ibn Butlan (d. 1063). The expensive, illustrated Tacuinum Sanitatis tomes portray a utopian feudal society in which nobles are engaged in play and romance while feudal laborers work the estate. Rich in horticultural imagery, they include vivid scenes of the harvest of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and culinary and medicinal herbs. Each scene is accompanied by a brief summary of the health aspects of the subject. Although medieval medicine was based on ancient philosophical concepts of Greek sciences, particularly Hippocrates and Galen, these documents connect vegetables and fruits with human health and well-being, similar to modern medicine. Hence, the present-day focus on the connection between horticulture and health can be seen as an extension of ancient and medieval regimens for a healthy lifestyle.