Royal Colleges of Surgery of Barcelona and Madrid in the 18th century

Abstract

On the occasion of the anniversary of the foundation of the Royal Colleges of Surgery of Barcelona and Madrid, this review presents the life and activity of both colleges, as well as the illustrious people who were in charge of them. The decline of surgery in the early 18th century prompted the creation of Royal Colleges of Surgery by the Bourbon Monarchy. The Royal College of Surgery of Barcelona, promoted by Pedro Virgili, with the previous experience he acquired at the Royal College of Surgery in Cádiz, was created with the intention of supplying the Royal Army of Spain with well-trained surgeons. The Royal College of Surgery of San Carlos in Madrid was inaugurated to use the training it offered to treat not only the military and sailors, but also the rest of the population. One of the most important figures in these institutions was Antonio Gimbernat, among others, whose life and academic career were linked to the evolution of the three Royal Colleges founded in Spain.